Fans of the Marvel Universe's Black Panther franchise have long debated if the role of King T'Challa should be recast in the wake of Chadwick Boseman's untimely death. Many have argued the kingdom of Wakanda should get a new T'Challa, and the late Boseman's brother agrees.
Derrick Boseman told TMZ he believes T'Challa should live on in the Marvel Universe and if that requires a new actor to take on the role made famous and cinematically iconic by his brother, then so be it.
Derrick said he thinks Chadwick would want the same thing, too, noting that the late actor and Howard University graduate always talked about the role of T'Challa being bigger than just one person. Chadwick, Derrick said, knew the power and meaning of T'Challa's character and the impact the role has made.
Derrick added that killing off T'Challa's character so soon after Chadwick's death would take away an important super hero role model for Black kids, the outlet reported.
Fans created a petition with the hashtag #RecastTChalla amid the rumors swirling around Letitia Wright and filming Black Panther 2, arguing that Marvel Studios shouldn't kill of the character to "make Chadwick & T'Challa the beginning of a legend and not the end of one."
He added that Chadwick never explicitly relayed his wishes for the role of T'Challa before his death but Derrick's pretty certain his brother would want T'Challa to live on.
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