‘Black Panther 2’: Michael B. Jordan Says It’s ‘Unlikely’ He’ll Return
Michael B. Jordan was a leading man long before he starred as the villainous Erik Killmonger in Black Panther 2. Fans were used to seeing the action star as a loveable protagonist who went up against evil. However, his role in Black Panther allowed him to step on the dark side.
The Without Remorse star had wanted to play a villain before his role in the 2018 Marvel film, and to prepare, he isolated himself and went into a very dark place. Killmonger was volatile, extreme, and lacked compassion, which Jordan revealed took a toll on his personal mental health.
Now, the Creed actor is getting candid about a potential return to the Black Panther sequel, but things don’t look promising.
When will ‘Black Panther 2’ premiere?
Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the shocking death of actor Chadwick Boseman who portrayed Ta’Challa in Black Panther, the Marvel film’s premiere schedule has been shifted drastically.
Marvel has decided not to recast Boseman’s role which means the original script for Black Panther 2 had to be thrown out. “Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives, professionally and personally,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told Deadline. “His portrayal of T’Challa, the Black Panther, is iconic, it transcends any other 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.”
For now, Black Panther 2 is set to be released July 8, 2022, but that could change since filming has not yet begun.
Ryan Coogler had to rewrite ‘Black Panther 2’
Boseman kept his battle with colon cancer a secret from nearly everyone, including Coogler, the MCU, and his friends and co-stars. Therefore, the cast and crew of Black Panther were just as stunned to learn about the actor’s death as the rest of the world.
After deciding not to recast Boseman, the production schedule for Black Panther 2 was shifted, and Coogler had to go back to the drawing board to rewrite the movie.
“Ryan Coogler is working very hard right now on the script with all the respect and love and genius that he has, which gives us great solace, so it was always about furthering the mythology and the inspiration of Wakanda,” Feige said.
T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) will likely become the next Black Panther.
Michael B. Jordan says it’s unlikely he’ll return for ‘Black Panther 2’
Though Killmonger seemingly met his end at the original film’s conclusion, we all know that Marvel villains tend to rise for the dead. However, Jordan says it is not likely that the loc-wearing villain will be returning for Black Panther 2.
When asked how likely he was to reprise his role as Killmonger on a scale of 1 to 10, Jordan gave a rather diplomatic answer.
“I’m gonna go with a solid 2,” Jordan said on SiriusXM’s Jess Cagle Show. “I didn’t want to go zero! Never say never. I can’t predict the future.” Jordan also revealed what he knew about Coogler’s revisions to the movie.
“I honestly don’t know much at all,” he said. “All I know is they’re developing a script that is a reflection of a lot of circumstances and tragedy that we had to deal with this past year. I know Ryan and Marvel are going to do the absolute best job at developing the story in a way that makes everybody happy and satisfied and honors Chad and moves forward with grace.”
