Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Star Winston Duke Comments on Recasting T'Challa
BY
JONATHAN FUGE
PUBLISHED 4 DAYS AGO
The role played by Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther and the MCU has not been recast for the sequel.
Marvel Studios
Marvel star
Winston Duke has commented on the idea of recasting the role of T’Challa following the untimely death of actor
Chadwick Boseman. Speaking with
Jemele Hill, Duke explained why he does not think that now is the time to recast the role, feeling that Boseman is interwoven into this particular iteration of the comic book character.
"I think for this iteration of Black Panther, it's very hard for me to really comment on something like that. Because, I'm of the mind that this is Chadwick's role. Chadwick created this and 'Black Panther' wouldn't be the same without Chadwick Boseman, who stood for the things that he stood for. When you cast a person, you're also casting their experiences, you're casting their politics, you're casting their all of these things. 'Black Panther' was heavily defined by the actor that did it, in my opinion."
However, Duke did go on to add that
just because they have not recast the role of this T’Challa, that does not mean a variant could not show up at some point down the line.
"So, I feel, as-is, the decision that's been made to keep T'Challa, Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa is one that has a lot of nobility in it. But you also have to… there's a level of trust that I think we should all have for a comic book world. (laughs) For a comic book world that has multiple dimensions and parallel dimensions and multiple stories and possible futures and possible reimaginations in the past. Just, multiple universes that they're actually experimenting with. So I feel, my level of trust is that the medium can support a diversity of interpretations that can actually make us all happy."
Ultimately, Duke trusts Marvel Studios to do the right thing. Whether that be allowing the legacy of Chadwick Boseman to be the only T’Challa in the MCU,
or whether that be bringing in a new actor to play a multiversal variant.
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Will Reflect Real Life & the Death of Chadwick Boseman
Marvel Studios
The synopsis for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reveals how the sequel will reflect real life and tragic death of Chadwick Boseman. "In Marvel Studios’ 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,' Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death,” the logline reads. “As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda."
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige
has also offered his explanation as to why the role of T’Challa has not been recast. “It just felt like it was much too soon to recast. Stan Lee always said that Marvel represents the world outside your window,” Feige said. “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 poured that into the story.”
Directed by
Ryan Coogler,
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett, and is scheduled to be released on November 11, 2022.