Three years ago, Marvel Entertainment took another huge step forward with the release of Black Panther. From Kendrick Lamar's work on the film's soundtrack to the star-studded cast that included Angela Bassett, Daniel Kaluuya and Michael B. Jordan, the film was a masterpiece that achieved massive success in all facets. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, grossed $1.34 billion worldwide and inspired a new generation of Black children. At the center of the Black Panther bonanza was Chadwick Boseman. Having portrayed the likes of Thurgood Marshall, James Brown and Jackie Robinson in his career, Boseman was far from a newcomer in this film. With that said, his performance in the box office hit took him into millions of new homes as a household name.
Heading into the Black Panther sequel, many fans were eager to see where Boseman would take the role next. Unfortunately, moviegoers will never have the opportunity to see what could have been the next phase of the actor's greatness on screen. At the age of 43, the South Carolina native fell victim to colon cancer, a disease that many of his co-stars never knew that he battled. In the aftermath of his passing, his wife and family members were left to grieve and his colleagues were left searching for answers. Moving forward, director Ryan Coogler and Marvel Entertainment President Kevin Feige are looking to honor Boseman in the best way through Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In the meantime, Boseman has one more Black Panther run left in him.
Months before his untimely passing, Boseman did voice-over work as Black Panther for Marvel Studios' first animated series, What If...? The series takes interesting twists and asks fun questions as superheroes move through alternate realities not explored in film. For example, the series asks, what if Erik Killmonger wasn't so set on taking out T'Challa?
"What If… ? features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist," the description reads.
On July 8, Marvel made fans tear up as they shared a short clip of Boseman's final performance as the superhero. Fans will wait one more month until August 11 when episodes will start rolling in from this bittersweet series.
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