‘Black Panther 2’ Cast Wants Fans to ‘Let Go of Any Expectations’ From the First Film
The final Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase 4 film brings fans back to Wakanda when the highly anticipated Black Panther sequel hits theaters in late 2022. The first movie was a massive success for Marvel Studios — it earned $1.348 billion at the box office and received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. So it stands to reason that expectations are high for Black Panther 2, but the cast wants to downplay the hype for the film.
1 ‘Black Panther 2’ cast member wants fans to lower their expectations
After the Black Panther 2 trailer premiered at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, the cast spoke with Entertainment Weekly about their upcoming movie. And Winston Duke, who plays M’Baku, touched on the first film’s legacy.
“It’s also important to let go of any expectation that this movie will be Black Panther 1,” the actor explained. “This is going to be its own thing. This narrative has evolved, and it’s changed, just like all the characters and the circumstances of Wakanda itself. For me in particular, I just had to let go of the expectation of this being anything like the first movie and allow this movie to be its own thing.”
Although the first film was a triumph in all regards, the Black Panther 2 cast and crew worked hard to differentiate the sequel from its predecessor. And based on the positive reactions to the trailer, fans are excited to return to Wakanda.
The cast explains how ‘Black Panther 2’ honors Chadwick Boseman
While making Black Panther 2, the cast and crew knew that they wanted to honor Chadwick Boseman. The actor who played T’Challa in the MCU shockingly died in August 2020 from colon cancer.
“The most important thing, of course, was honoring our brother, our leader, and our king,” Danai Gurira told Entertainment Weekly. “That was definitely at the forefront of our minds and our spirits and our hearts. There was this amazing impact that the first Black Panther had. So the need, I think, was to really solidify that these characters and this world have an arc. It wasn’t a one-time momentous thing.”
While speaking with Variety, Letitia Wright said, “It is an incredible honor for Chadwick Boseman. It’s jam-packed with exciting stuff.”
She added, “We honored him by committing ourselves to the story that he started; the legacy that he started with this franchise. And we just committed every day to working hard, no matter what circumstances we faced. And we faced a lot of circumstances, a lot of difficult situations. But we came together as a team, and we poured everything into this movie. So I’m excited for you to see it.”
Everything we know about ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
The cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever includes Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Florence Kasumba as Ayo, Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart, Michaela Coel as Aneka, and Tenoch Huerta as Namor.
Ryan Coogler directed the film and co-wrote it with Joe Robert Cole.
The sequel’s synopsis reads, “Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters on Nov. 11, 2022.
