New Black Panther: Possible Chadwick Boseman Successor, Revealed
Chadwick Boseman may be gone, but his legacy as Black Panther lives on. Now, a new report suggests that another popular character will keep Boseman's fire burning.
Boseman's stint as Black Panther did not last long after he lost his battle against colon cancer last August 2020 at the age of 43.
His passing affected a lot of people, especially after his memorable performance in the MCU as King T'Challa and Black Panther.
However, Marvel Studios and its stars have to move forward for him. And last Friday, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the filming of "Black Panther 2" will begin in July 2021, during which the studio could reveal the successor of Boseman.
Who Will Be the Next Black Panther?
According to the news outlet, Leticia Wright's character, Shuri, will have a more prominent role--stirring theories that she could be the next Black Panther.
Shuri, the youngest daughter of T'Chaka and sister of T'Challa, is the Princess of Wakanda. This makes her an heiress to the throne and the possible next Black Panther.
But to make it happen, Marvel Studios would need to follow the story during the Dark Reign era on the "Black Panther" comic series.
In that installment, Shuri became the Black Panther for the first time after the king's wife, Queen Ororo, hailed her while T'Challa was not on his throne.
Everyone should take these speculations with a grain of salt, however, as nothing has been confirmed as of the moment.
For what it's worth, fans have also given their approval for Wright to take on the role, especially after Marvel Studios confirmed they will not opt to use CGI to bring back Boseman.
To recall, Marvel Studios EVP Victoria Alonso told Argentinian newspaper Clarin that they arte not considering using a CGI double since "there is only one Chadwick Boseman."
"Because Chadwick was not only a wonder of a human being every day for the five years that we spent together, but it also seems to me that as a character what he did elevated us as a company, and has left his moment in history," she said.
Alonso also noted that Marvel and the "Black Panther" creators are thinking of the best way to honor the actor and continue his legacy at the same time.
"Black Panther 2" Updates
Apart from Wright's prumored upgraded role, THR also reported the latest update about the film.
Per the news outlet, "Narcos: Mexico" star Tenoch Huerta will join the cast members. It added that the team is now preparing to begin the filming in Atlanta in July 2021, which they expect to last for six months.
Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke and Angela Bassett will also reprise their roles in the next film.
In addition, Ryan Coogler and Marvel are said to be looking forward to releasing the sequel in 2022. However, the exact date is yet to be decided as Marvel Studios will be busy with its new series and movies for Phase 4.
"The series are the priority. Ramping them up takes a lot of focus. The movie machinery is well established," one of THR's sources said.
Meanwhile, chief analyst of Boxoffice Pro, Shawn Robbins, said that MCU fans are craving even more after months of not seeing a Marvel masterpiece.
"It will be something that signals, 'OK, moviegoers are coming back now. Let's reboot this industry properly,'" he said of the MCU Phase 4.
