Two years after the death of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, the movie’s director Ryan Coogler, 36, revealed to Entertainment Weekly that grief discouraged him from making the upcoming sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
“I was at a point when I was like, ‘I’m walking away from business,'” Coogler said. “I didn’t know if I could make another movie period, [let alone] another Black Panther movie, because it hurt a lot. I was like, ‘Man, how could I open myself up to feeling like this again?'”
Coogler began reminiscing about his times with Boseman and even watched old videos of Boseman, including interviews the late actor did where he discussed the importance of the movie, from his character T’Challa to Wakanda.
“I was poring over a lot of our conversations that we had, towards what I realized was the end of his life,” the director stated. “I decided that it made more sense to keep going.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was born to honor Boseman. In the film, King T’Challa is dead, and the people of Wakanda are grieving his death while attempting to protect their home from foreign dangers.
“The movie is very much about how you move forward while dealing with a tragic loss,” the movie’s producer, Nate Moore, explained. “All of the characters, both old and new, are dealing with how loss can affect your actions in ways that are emotional and surprising.”
Since King T’Challa passed, a new Panther must rise and carry the responsibilities of wearing the Black Panther title. Many speculate Shuri, King T’Challa’s sister, will take her brother’s place since the new suit has her markings. Despite a new Black Panther, Coogler clarified that recasting T’Challa was never considered. He and Marvel wanted to expand and tell a new story.
“It’s my job as a filmmaker to do things that I have personal integrity with,” Coogler said. “If I don’t believe in what I’m doing, I’m going to have a hard time getting other people to do their best work. For them to do their best work, they have to believe in it. At the end of the day, the choices we make have to feel truthful to me. When filmmakers make things that don’t feel truthful to them, you can feel it. And I will argue that those projects don’t have a shot at working.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on Nov. 11.
