Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler has shared just how vastly different the original script for the sequel was, prior to the shocking passing of the film's star, Chadwick Boseman.
"The script we wrote before Chadwick passed was very much rooted in T’Challa’s perspective," Coogler told The Hollywood Reporter. “It was a massive movie but also simultaneously a character study that delved deeply into his psyche and situation.”
Nate Moore, Marvel Studios’ Vice President of Production & Development, added, “The Black Panther has existed in Wakanda for centuries, so the notion of someone else picking up the mantle didn’t seem inorganic.”
Now, Wakanda has a new villain — K’uk’ulkan, the feathered-serpent god also known as Namor, who leads an undersea tribe of Atlanteans coming for the surface world. Wakanda is in mourning over the loss of T'Challa, with Angela Bassett’s Ramonda and Letitia Wright’s Shuri leading the memorial procession, clutching his mask. T'Challa's absence makes Wakanda vulnerable to attack, and they must come together to protect their land and resources.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to arrive in theaters on November 11.