Summary
Black Pantheractor Chadwick Boseman’s death led Marvel Studios to lay the character to rest instead of recasting. A new report claims Marvel Studios is reconsidering its decision, but one scooper claims this rumor is mistaken.
Black Pantherwas released to record-breaking office success and unprecedented critical acclaim for an MCU movie. It garnered accolades in the following awards season, culminating with a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. A sequel was quickly developed, but lead actor Boseman passed away after a private battle with cancer while writer/director Ryan Coogler was still penning the screenplay. Marvel Studios decidedagainst recasting Black Panther out of respect for Boseman, a choice some agreed with but others felt should have been reconsidered.
Will Marvel Studios recast Black Panther?
Now,Jeff Sneiderreports thatMarvel Studios is open to recasting Black Panther/T’Challa. According to Sneider, withRobert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom inAvengers: Doomsday, the door is open to casting a new actor as Black Panther “via the magic of the multiverse.” An actor was reportedly offered the Black Panther role in the fall, but they purportedly turned it down because they did not want to “jeopardize their career momentum” by stepping into Boseman’s shoes.
After Sneider broke the news that Black Panther could be recast, notable scooperMyTimeToShineHelloresponded by claiming Marvel Studios was not recasting Boseman’s T’Challa. MyTimeToShineHello claimed Marvel Studios was instead casting an older version of T’Challa and Nakia’s son Toussaint, whom fans learned was raised secretly by Nakia inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever’s mid-credits scene. Because Toussaint’s Wakandan name is also T’Challa, Twitter userAdam Siennicasuggested that perhaps Sneider was confused by Boseman’s T’Challa and the character’s son having the same name, a suggestion MyTimetoShineHello agreed with. When TwitterMon Arknoted that there would have to be a significant time jump in the MCU to cast an older Toussaint/T’Challa because the character was 6 years old inWakanda Forever, MyTimeToShineHello claimed Marvel Studios would “age him up.”
Fans appeared to have mixed reactions to the news. On Twitter or Reddit, fans seem fine with recasting Black Panther, but many felt this should have been done beforeWakanda Forever. When Boseman died, some thought it would have been disrespectful to recast Black Panther immediately. Others argued that the character had such a profound impact on people that the torch should have been passed to a new actor to carry on the legacy, similar to how Christopher Reeve is regarded by many as the definitive Superman but multiple actors have taken on the role since Reeve played the character. Even Boseman’s brother said the lateactor would want Black Panther to be recast.
It is unsurprising to hear Marvel Studios may use the Multiverse storyline to recast Black Panther. While the firstBlack Panthergrossed over $1 billion,Wakanda Foreverearned $859 million worldwide. That’s nothing to sneeze at, though Marvel Studios was likely hoping for another billion-dollar hit. Fans will never know if Boseman would have helpedWakanda Forevercross the billion-dollar mark, but the franchise needs a new Black Panther. T’Challa’s sister Shuri assumed the mantle inWakanda Forever, but actressLetitia Wright angered some fansafter she shared a video that spread anti-vax conspiracies and contained transphobic rhetoric. Wright has apologized for sharing the video. Regardless, Marvel Studios may be preparing to cast a new Black Panther, and the actor they chose has big shoes to fill.
Black Pantheris available on Disney Plus.
Black Panther
Black Panther is the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and sees the titular hero return after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Set in the fictional nation of Wakanda, Black Panther sees the succession of T’Challa as the nation’s new king. However, when a mysterious soldier with ill intentions arrives with proof of his claim to the throne, the future of Wakanda is thrown into jeopardy.
