Based on the beautiful tributes from the cast and crew of Black Panther that have been pouring out for Chadwick Boseman since he passed away, it’s clear to see that he was much more than just the star of the film. Indeed, he was also heavily involved in the development and execution of what ultimately ended up being a watershed moment for blockbuster cinema.
Boseman was integral to the success of the movie on both a personal and professional level and obviously held a special place in his heart for the titular hero. While he may no longer be with us, the actor’s legacy will continue to live on through the Black Panther franchise and all eyes are currently on Disney to see how they choose to carry on with it now that Boseman is gone.
Understandably, the studio is in an incredibly tough position and according to a new report from THR, they’re reevaluating their plans for the sequel and how to move forward with the property from here. Apparently, Boseman was about to begin preparing for his return to the role and Black Panther 2 was set to start production early next year.
Not only that, but no one at the studio even knew that Chadwick was fighting cancer until very recently, and the actor himself believed that he was going to beat it. Of course, Disney also has to process his loss on a personal level as well, given how beloved and well-respected he was, and they now find themselves trying to figure out what the best way to proceed with the franchise is.
No doubt it’ll be a while yet before we learn of which route they’ve settled on, but as many have already noted, there’s really only two possibilities. Those being to recast the role or give the mantle of Black Panther to a new character, like Shuri. The latter seems like the most likely option, but for now, we’ll just have to wait and see what they do.