‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Director Reveals Original Story Written Before Chadwick Boseman Died

Actor Chadwick Boseman originally had a substantial part to play in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He originally got his start in theatre, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) role ultimately pushed him into the international spotlight. However, Chadwick’s death totally changed the screenplay for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which originally gave him a much bigger perspective into the world of Wakanda.

‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman died in 2020

Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer back in 2016, but he managed to keep his condition private. He was brought into one of the biggest entertainment spotlights imaginable, but he always maintained a level of privacy. As a result, the world was in for quite a shock when Boseman died in 2020.

Boseman beautifully played T’Challa in Black Panther and he was meant to return for Wakanda Forever. But, it wasn’t the only role that earned him attention for his undeniable charisma and talent. His final performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, although he lost out to Anthony Hopkins in The Father.

Chadwick Boseman was the main ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ perspective in the original script

MCU fans around the globe mourned the loss of Boseman, but the big question was if a new actor would take the role of T’Challa in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The studio’s creatives and the actor’s co-stars didn’t have much time to grieve, as they instantly had to figure out what their next move was. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever co-writer/director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole had to take the screenplay in a whole new direction.

“The script we wrote before Chadwick passed was very much rooted in T’Challa’s perspective,” Coogler said. “It was a massive movie but also simultaneously a character study that delved deeply into his psyche and situation.”

The MCU ultimately decided not to recast their lead character, which co-star Lupita Nyong’o agreed with.

“That is not the death of the Black Panther, that’s the whole point,” Nyong’o said. “It’s laying to rest [T’Challa] and allowing for real life to inform the story of the movies. I know that there are all sorts of reasons why people want him to be recast, but I don’t have the patience. I don’t have the presence of mind, or I don’t have the objectivity to argue with that. I don’t. I’m very biased.”

Coogler and Cole rewrote the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever screenplay after Boseman died to allow a new lead character to emerge. Letitia Wright’s Shuri, T’Challa’s sister, took over the role of Wakanda’s new protector.

Lupita Nyong’o had difficulty imagining a sequel without her co-star

Nyong’o told The Hollywood Reporter that she couldn’t imagine Black Panther: Wakanda Forever without Boseman involved. Coogler reached out to her while she was in Kenya to talk about the sequel, but it seemed like an impossible task for the actor.

“Every time I thought about what the next Black Panther could be, my imagination fell short,” Nyong’o said. “Even just talking about Black Panther in the midst of still grieving Chadwick, it was really complicated emotionally to do.”

As a result, Coogler and Cole crafted a new screenplay that served to honor Boseman, which left Nyong’o in tears.

“Ryan wrote something that so honored the truth of what every one of us was feeling, those of us who knew Chadwick,” Nyong’o said. “He created something that could honor that and carry the story forward. By the end, I was weeping.”