Ahead of release Kevin Feige explains the decision not to recast T’Challa in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. After the tragic passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, star of Black Panther, Marvel Studios had to make a decision. Either recast T’Challa, or move on to a sequel without the lead character.
We know which decision was made, and now speaking with Empire Online, Feige explains his reasoning.
“It just felt like it was much too soon to recast,” he says, likening their approach to Marvel’s long-standing ethos in the comics. “Stan Lee always said that Marvel represents the world outside your window. And we had talked about how, as extraordinary and fantastical as our characters and stories are, there’s a relatable and human element to everything we do. The world is still processing the loss of Chad. And Ryan poured that into the story.”
“The conversations were entirely about, yes, ‘What do we do next?’” Feige explains. “And how could the legacy of Chadwick – and what he had done to help Wakanda and the Black Panther become these incredible, aspirational, iconic ideas – continue? That’s what it was all about.”
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However much I can appreciate the difficult position Feige was in here, all bets are off till we see Wakanda Forever. Can this movie really pull off a great sequel to a very important movie without the led? The answer will ultimately be how Feige’s decision is judged in the future. I personally know more people who think T’Challa the character was too important not to be recast. Which, for now is kinda where I sit as well.
However, that remains to be seen. If Marvel Studios does pull this off, then fair play. One thing is for sure, the eyes of the world will be on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever very soon. What do you think of his comments as Kevin Feige explains decision to not recast T’Challa in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? Leave us some thoughts below.
