Is Black Panther Chadwick Boseman About to Make the Same Mistake With Marvel as Terrence Howard?
Chadwick Boseman’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be at an end. The actor is reportedly in the middle of a contract dispute with Marvel that could conclude his time with the studio before the highly anticipated sequel. Is Boseman about to make the same mistake that Terrance Howard, a.k.a. the original War Machine, did after Iron Man?
Marvel moves forward with ‘Black Panther 2’
Black Panther remains one of Marvel’s most successful stand-alone films to date. Not only did the movie make $1.3 billion in theaters, but it also snagged several nominations at the Academy Awards, including a nod for Best Picture.
Despite this success, Boseman’s T’Challa did not enjoy a lot of screen time in Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame. Marvel fans were unhappy with this decision, which has shed some doubt on the character’s future in the MCU.
To make things even worse, Black Panther 2 is not scheduled to open in theaters until May of 2022. The first movie premiered in 2018, making this one of the longest waits for a sequel in Marvel’s history.
With filming likely to start in 2021, Marvel has been very tight-lipped about the sequel. And one inside source claims that Boseman is at a standstill with the studio over a pay raise.
Is Boseman about to leave the MCU?
An insider told We Got This Covered that Boseman has demanded a pay increase from Marvel but the studio is refusing to meet his request. If the reports are true, then this is a very similar situation to Howard, who was replaced by Don Cheadle after in Iron Man 2.
The source claims that Marvel has a backup plan in the event that Boseman leaves. The studio wants to introduce Namor in a future project and have him become the MCU’s top black superhero.
Namor’s name has already popped up in theories regarding the main plot of Black Panther 2. Most of these reports have Namor being the movie’s main villain, with him defending Atlantis against Wakanda.
Marvel has not confirmed any of these reports. With the movie still under development, a lot could change between now and when production gets underway.
Will Letitia Wright become the new Black Panther?
Although T’Challa was the focal point in the first movie, Letitia Wright’s Shuri almost stole the show. The actress reprised her role in Infinity War and Endgame and will likely play an important part in the upcoming sequel.
There has even been some speculation that Shuri will replace T’Challa as the new Black Panther, though that might not happen until the third film in the franchise (assuming Marvel is planning a trilogy).
We cannot confirm that Shuri will take on Black Panther’s mantle, but this is something that happened in the comics. If Marvel decides to adapt that storyline in a future film, then the door would obviously be open for Shuri to become the new Black Panther.
Until then, fans will have to wait and see what Marvel confirms in the coming weeks and months.
Boseman posts about Operation 42
While we wait to hear more about Boseman’s dispute with Marvel, the actor recently sparked concern over his gaunt look. Taking to Instagram, Boseman shared a photo of himself to promote the initiative, Operation 42, and fans were shocked by how much weight he has lost.
“I am hearing stories of desperation from people all over the country, and we know our communities are suffering the most and urgently need help,” Boseman captioned the post. “Celebrating #JackieRobinsonDay with the launch of Thomas Tull’s #Operation42…”
Black Panther fans immediately noticed how much weight Boseman appears to have lost and expressed their shock in the comments.
Boseman worked with Operation 42 to donate millions of dollars worth of personal protective equipment to hospitals in African American communities.
Black Panther 2 is set to hit theaters on May 6, 2022.
