Actor Chadwick Boseman is set to make his last appearance as Black Panther in the upcoming Marvel series, What If. In the upcoming series, Marvel will explore hypothetical scenarios involving the most famous superheroes. The Black Panther centered episode will reportedly ask the question, “What if T’Challa became Star-Lord instead of Peter Quill?" According to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, Boseman taped four episodes for the series nearly a year before his passing.
“[Boseman] came in about four times and recorded numerous episodes,” Feige said.
“In hindsight, it’s very moving.”
Boseman tragically passed away in August after battling colon cancer. In the aftermath of his sudden passing, Marvel announced that the role of King T'Challa would not be recast in the upcoming Black Panther sequel.
“[Boseman’s] portrayal of T’Challa the Black Panther is iconic and transcends any iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel’s past, and it’s for that reason that we will not recast the character,” Feige said.
“However, to honor the legacy that Chad helped us build, we want to continue to explore the world of Wakanda and all the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film.”
After Feige's announcement, fans began to speculate that Boseman may be replaced by a digital double. Shortly after those rumors emerged, Marvel shot them down.
“There’s only one Chadwick, and he’s not with us. Our king, unfortunately, has died in real life, not just in fiction, and we are taking a little time to see how we return to the story, and what we do to honor this chapter of what has happened to us that was so unexpected, so painful, so terrible, really,” Marvel Studios Executive Vice President of Production Victoria Alonso said.
“Because Chadwick was not only a marvelous human being every day that we spent together the five years we spent together, but it also seems to me that as a character what he did elevated us as a company, and has left his moment in history.”
What If? is set to debut in 2021. Black Panther 2 will hit theaters during the following summer.
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