When Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away in 2020, it was a blow that many couldn’t handle. Not only was it equal parts shocking and shattering, but the news of him quietly suffering from colon cancer was a grueling discovery. While his Black Panther and Marvel family knew he was not well, the extent of his suffering was only discovered after he had passed away.
It was a devastating secret that he wanted to keep and kept it well hidden till his death. He even went as far as making fun of the script for Black Panther 2, so that he could keep his illness private.
The Reason Chadwick Boseman Made Fun Of Black Panther 2 Script
After the immense success of Black Panther, a sequel was naturally in order. While the director Ryan Coogler was busy developing a rough draft, Chadwick Boseman was silently battling cancer, a disease no less than a poison slowly eating his life away.
And soon enough a draft was ready and sent to Boseman, as Letitia Wright reveals. She stated that Boseman had initially made fun of the script for being too long (via Variety).
“I remember just hearing through the grapevine that even though Chadwick was really unwell, he was making fun of how long it was, because the script was about 300 pages. That’s Ryan’s process; he puts everything on the page, he sends it off to Chad, and they sit and discuss.”
The rest of the cast and crew thought it was just Boseman being his cheerful self by making fun of the script saying the draft was too long to be read. And Boseman never managed to read it, not because it was too long but as Coogler later found out it was because the actor was ‘too tired‘ to.
Chadwick Boseman Was ‘Too Tired’ To Read Black Panther 2 Script
The world finally found out about Chadwick Boseman’s tragic battle with cancer after his death in August 2020. And so did the rest of his Black Panther and Marvel family. While Ryan Coogler was still coming to terms with what had just happened, he learned another tragic detail that he found difficult to speak out loud even after two years of Boseman’s passing.
When Coogler sat down with Variety, he was asked if he had ever gotten around to talking with his lead star about the extremely long Black Panther 2 script. He timidly replied,
“He hadn’t read it. I found out later he was … I can write this, It’s harder for me to say it.”
He slowly reached for a notebook and wrote- ‘He was too tired to read it.’
Coogler’s struggle and admission of the extent of Boseman’s suffering is a feeling that many share across the world, with fans continuing to make sure the late actor is remembered with love and admiration. He would continue to be remembered, not only for his brilliant performances but also for the extraordinary human being he was.
Black Panther 2 can be watched on Disney+.
