When Chadwick Boseman tragically died, director Ryan Coogler had to determine a plan for a sequel without T’Challa. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will tackle loss and grief as the people of Wakanda try to move on without their king. However, the first plan for the Black Panther sequel also revolved around grief and loss. Coogler explained his original thought process for the sequel with Inverse.
“The tone was going to be similar. The character was going to be grieving the loss of time, you know, coming back after being gone for five years,” said Coogler. “As a man with so much responsibility to so many, coming back after a forced five years absence, that’s what the film was tackling. He was grieving time he couldn’t get back. Grief was a big part of it.”
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In addition to grief, Wakanda Forever will serve as a tribute to Boseman and his work in the franchise. According to Coogler, the film is all about “moving forward,” and every choice had to reflect that theme.
“Who the protagonist was, the flaws of the protagonist, what the protagonist was dealing with in their journey, all of that stuff had to be different due to us losing him and the decisions that we made about moving forward,” said Coogler.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11.
What does Ryan Coogler have in store for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
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