Marvel won't recast Black Panther

 

“Black Panther 2, opening July 8th, 2022, is being written and directed by Ryan Coogler. Honoring Chadwick Boseman’s legacy and portrayal of T’Challa, @MarvelStudios will not recast the character, but explore the rich world of Wakanda and the rich characters introduced in the first film.” This was a tweet from Disney today after the investors conference. 

        This is a clear win for people who didn’t want to see Boseman replaced, citing that Boseman's legacy should be honored and they should place the mantle of Black Panther on another exisiting character. However, there are those who felt as though T'Challa's stories were not finished. I'm in the camp of the latter.

     While the death of Boseman is tragic, it’s this author’s personal opinion that the role of T’Challa is just as sacred as the mantle of the Black Panther. I think it would be wise to continue telling T’Challa’s story because it took so long just to start it. It feels like there is black talent that may be able to bring a unique separate take on the King of Wakanda. Because it took so long to get him there. Because representation matters so much, I believe T'Challa needed to be recasted. Though the new actor will never capture what Boseman brought to the role, T'Challa deserves to have multiple versions of him. For no other reason other than that he is T'Challa.

    That's just my opinion but at the very least, for what Ryan Coogler has done with the character and Wakanda, I will still watch and support Black Panther 2 and trust that whatever changes are made, they will do right by the fans. Rest in Peace Mr. Boseman, and thank you for the memories.

Do you think Disney made the right choice? Do you think they messed up? Let us know below and as always, thanks for stopping by the Nerd’s List.