With the loss of the leading actor in the movie series, how will the story continue? On August 28th, 2020, T’Challa’s (Black Panther) actor, Chadwick Boseman, died of stage-four colon cancer. The contributors to the Black Panther movie struggled greatly with the death of their leading actor. “It was very therapeutic, very cathartic, to be able to use what was going on in our lives in the work—the vulnerability, the strength, the grief of that moment,” fellow Black Panther actor Angela Bassett told The Washington Post. When Chadwick died, they had already finished filming the first Black Panther movies; however, they had a contract to film three more, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs Black Panther to move the story along.

The first Black Panther came out in February 2018. The movie was shown much love by the viewers. Black Panther won three Oscars, making it the first Marvel Studios film to do so. Many viewers loved Black Panther because it portrayed things that aren’t shown most of the time in the media, causing this movie to influence young kids. The movie influenced children to approach STEM positively and focus on what can come out of it. The movie also showcased a strong group of female characters fighting with Black Panther, who became women that young girls could look up to in the media. Most of all, Black Panther was Marvel’s first movie with a black lead superhero and a black cast, which was a representation that had been missing in Marvel movies for many years. These reasons made Black Panther a movie that was beloved by the fans and that they couldn’t imagine letting go of.

Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther, began to plan the sequel for Black Panther in early June 2021. The production started on June 29th, 2022, in Tillith Studios, Georgia. The movie revolves around Chadwick’s death by killing Chadwick’s character. The story takes place six years after Avengers: End Game, when Shuri, T’Challa’s younger sister, witnesses T’Challa’s death. On the first anniversary of Black Panther’s death, the nation of Wakanda has the threat of another nation on its plate. Following the death of the King, Wakanda earned the moniker “selfish,” owing to their possession of vibranium and their refusal to share it. The Black Panther mantle eventually gets passed down to Shuri. Even though Black Panther will not be the same without Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther fans are still tuning in and are optimistic about the outcome of the series despite the tragic loss. The movie is showing in theaters as of November 11th, 2022.