Black Panther 2 Cast & Crew Felt Chadwick Boseman’s Presence On-Set

Filming is now underway on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and, according to Ramonda actor Angela Bassett, the late Chadwick Boseman’s presence is still felt on set by cast and crew. After his memorable introduction to the MCU in Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa (Boseman) got his first standalone movie in 2018 with the release of the critically acclaimed Black Panther. Although a sequel was announced shortly thereafter, Boseman tragically passed away in August of 2020 at age 43 after a battle with colon cancer, putting plans for the second film on hold.

With production on Wakanda Forever now in full swing, it’s still not clear what direction the film will take, but director Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios have confirmed the role of T’Challa will not be recast (or digitally recreated) and that the film will honor the late Boseman’s legacy. Returning cast members include Letitia Wright as Shuri, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, and Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia. New actors that have been confirmed to appear include Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, Tenoch Huerta potentially as Namor the Sub-Mariner, and Michaela Coel in an unknown role.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Ramonda actor Angela Bassett discussed her long and successful career, touching on her experiences in Black Panther and her current work filming Wakanda Forever. While she remained tight-lipped about the sequel’s plot, Bassett talked about the impact Boseman’s passing has had on the film and the ways in which his legacy continues to live on through the film’s production, including the cast and crew. Of Boseman, her on-screen son, Bassett said:

“Everyone felt, the first week of shooting, the presence of Chadwick and missing him on that throne, but we all came together and just paid homage to him before we began, which was wonderful … everyone just speaking beautiful words about him and expressing how much we care and how he informed and inspired us.”

With the first film revolving entirely around Boseman’s character, T’Challa, starting production on a sequel without him must be no easy feat for the cast and crew. Stories have circulated since Boseman’s death (and before) about his ample kindness and generosity of spirit, with those who have worked with him praising the late actor’s work ethic in the highest regard.

It is currently unclear how the sequel will handle Boseman’s death, but it seems likely that, if the role of T’Challa will not be recast or digitally recreated, the mantle of Black Panther will pass to another. Many fans see Letitia Wright’s Shuri, T’Challa’s sister, as the most likely candidate to don the Black Panther suit and become Queen of Wakanda. Although so little is known about the sequel, it seems fair to suggest that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will likely be one of the most emotional MCU films of all time, with audiences having to bid farewell to both T’Challa, a fan-favorite character, and Chadwick Boseman, the actor who brought him to life with such depth and dedication.