Following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman earlier this year, fans of Black Panther began to wonder whether the series would be able to continue without its star. Marvel Studios and Disney were honest about their plans, as well, telling Black Panther fans they didn't have an answer for them yet.
"There's only one Chadwick, and he's no longer with us," executive producer Victoria Alonso said in an interview, according to Deadline. "Sadly, our king has died in real life, not only in fiction, and we're taking a little time to see how we continue the story and how to honor this chapter of what has unexpectedly happened to us, so painful and terrible to be honest."
The Hollywood Report revealed on Friday (November 20), that tentative plans to move forward with the Black Panther franchise are now being made. While little else is known about how Marvel and Disney will handle the loss of Boseman—and his character King T'Challa—on screen, the sequel will reportedly begin filming in July 2021.
Alonso shut down rumors that Boseman would appear in the sequel via hologram or CGI—similar to how Carrie Fisher appeared in The Rise of Skywalker following her unexpected passing. Some fans, however, have suggested King T'Challa's younger sister, Shuri, take up the Black Panther mantle in the next film. Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke and Angela Bassett are all expected to return for Black Panther 2, as well.
Photo: Marvel Studios