Black Panther 2: Kevin Feige explains why he didn’t recast T’Challa

Marvel chief Kevin Feige has opened up about his decision not to recast T’Challa in Black Panther 2 following Chadwick Boseman’s death.

The actor passed away in August 2020, four years after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. His condition was only revealed following his death, coming after he’d forged a superhero icon with his performance as T’Challa/Black Panther.

As fans around the world mourned, an inevitable question mark arose around the future of Black Panther’s sequel, and whether another actor would fill Boseman’s role.

Fortunately, Feige decided to not recast T’Challa in the MCU, in order to “honor the star’s legacy.”

Kevin Feige explains why he didn’t recast T’Challa for Black Panther 2

In a new interview with Empire Magazine ahead of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Feige spoke about not recasting T’Challa for the sequel. “It just felt like it was much too soon to recast,” he said.

“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 [Coogler] poured that into the story.”

Coogler, who also directed 2018’s Black Panther, worked with Feige to figure out the best direction for Wakanda Forever.

“The conversations were entirely about, yes, ‘What do we do next?’ 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,” Feige said.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is due for release on November 11, 2022.