Black Panther 2 Star Describes How Chadwick Boseman Was Honored On Set

Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri in the MCU, describes how the late Chadwick Boseman was honored on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Black Panther 2 Star Describes How Chadwick Boseman Was Honored On Set

Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has explained how the late Chadwick Boseman was honored on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The first Black Panther film, which starred Boseman and was released in February 2018, was a massive success for Marvel Studios both critically and financially, so its sequel has been a major conversation topic for fans ever since. Boseman made his first appearance as T’Challa/Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War in 2016, while Wright first appeared as Shuri in the 2018 standalone film. Boseman and Wright later made appearances in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Boseman passed away in August 2020 from colon cancer, which he was first diagnosed with in 2016. He never spoke publicly about his illness; in fact, only a few people not in his family were aware of it. In light of Boseman’s passing, Black Panther 2 director Ryan Coogler restructured the film to serve as the ultimate tribute to the late actor. Plot details are still being kept largely under wraps, but there have been signs that Wakanda Forever will act as a send off for Boseman’s T’Challa. This is supported by Marvel currently sticking by its decision to not recast T’Challa, nor recreate Boseman with CGI.

In an interview with Variety, Wright speaks about how the crew of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever paid homage to the late actor during production. She describes how the crew shouldered the responsibility of the odyssey that Boseman began, and their impressive overcoming of whatever obstacles came their way. Wright says:

“We honored him by committing ourselves to this story that he started, the legacy he started with this franchise. And we just committed every day to working hard no matter what circumstances we faced. And we faced a lot of circumstances! A lot of difficult situations, but we came together as a team and we poured everything into this movie, so I’m excited for you to see it.”

Beyond the comments of the cast and crew, it still isn’t entirely clear how the Black Panther sequel will handle Boseman’s loss. Still, those like Lupita Nyong’o and Angela Bassett have spoken about feeling Boseman’s presence on set and striving to honor him with Wakanda Forever. While there are many fans who want to see T’Challa recast, there still hasn’t been any official movement on that possibility. Even if T’Challa isn’t seen on screen, though, it sounds like he and Boseman will still be felt in a major way. Wright’s new comments support that, and it could mean that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be the perfect way for Boseman’s fans to properly process his passing.

As the figurehead of the first Black Panther film, Boseman was seen to the world as one of the biggest symbols of inspiration for Black audiences. His untimely passing is still mourned to this day, and will continue to be mourned for years to come. As Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still highly anticipated by Marvel fans worldwide, one of their biggest hopes is that it will honor the late actor’s legacy in a respectful and meaningful way. If Wright’s words are to be taken to heart, it looks like the upcoming sequel will do exactly that.