Nearly four years after the first installment, the Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever will make its way into theaters this weekend. Noticeably absent from the film is Chadwick Boseman, the titular Black Panther who passed away in 2020 after a secret battle with colon cancer.
Even though Boseman’s Black Panther isn’t appearing in Wakanda Forever, the cast said they could feel his presence while filming and promoting the movie. Letitia Wright, who portrayed Shuri, told Variety that the filming process was therapeutic for the cast, “It’s definitely triggering to keep discussing something that’s very close to you and really emotional,” Wright explained. “But at the same time, we understand the ways in which it could bring healing.”
Wright also noted that Boseman was able to receive a script before they began, and he joked about the 300-plus pages. “I remember just hearing through the grapevine that even though Chadwick was really unwell, he was making fun of how long it was, because the script was about 300 pages,” Wright said with a laugh. For perspective, the Avengers: Endgame script came out to about 150 pages. “That’s Ryan [Coogler]’s process; he puts everything on the page, he sends it off to Chad and they sit and discuss.”
Coogler, the film’s director, ended up getting emotional when discussing giving the script to Boseman in the summer of 2020, just before he passed. “He hadn’t read it…I found out later he was…” the director said before trailing off. “I can write this. It’s harder for me to say it,” Coogler told Variety, scribbling on a notepad that Boseman was too tired to read the script.
Despite tragedy and various production delays, the cast and crew of Wakanda Forever are ready for the world to see the next chapter in the Marvel universe. “In the process of these four years, there’s been a lot of ups and downs,” Coogler said. “A lot of times where you couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. You just had to trust that eventually, you’re going to get out of it.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters this Friday, November 11th.