Chadwick Boseman’s death back in August 2020 was still a shock to many fans after his incredible portrayal of T’Challa/Black Panther. The future of the franchise was left hanging with a lot of questions about recasting the part or just letting the character die with the actor.
In the end, Marvel Studios chose to keep the story going following the aftermath of T’Challa’s death. They clearly wanted to keep Boseman’s legacy as the famed superhero to avoid any controversies that may arise had they chosen another actor to fill in the void.
Why Marvel Studios Did Not Recast Black Panther
In an interview with Empire, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige explained the decision not to recast Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther. Amid the several petitions and outcry of fans on social media, there was nothing that could change their minds. He stated:
“It just felt like it was much too soon to recast. Stan Lee always said that Marvel represents the world outside your window. 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 [director] Ryan [Coogler] poured that into the story.”
Even director Ryan Coogler hesitated to make a sequel and almost decided to walk away from the franchise for good. Chadwick Boseman would have wanted the second film to happen so Coogler returned to helm the 2022 film Wakanda Forever. Feige continued:
“The conversations were entirely about, yes, ‘What do we do next?’ And how could the legacy of Chadwick — and what he had done to help Wakanda and the Black Panther become these incredible, aspirational, iconic ideas — continue? That’s what it was all about.”
Marvel Studios did not recast T’Challa, and Shuri assumed the mantle of Black Panther. This is not the case with Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. With the news of his conviction for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari last March, Marvel finally fired the actor.
Based on the pulse of the crowd, the only way to deal with this issue is either to recast Kang the Conqueror or, like T’Challa, drop it and find a new villain. Many were surprisingly fine with replacing Majors. This is not the case with Boseman’s T’Challa.
Chadwick Boseman’s Fans Defend Actor’s Legacy As Black Panther
A campaign hashtag is growing on social media promoting the recast of T’Challa. A lot of fans felt devastated that Black Panther did not return in the sequel, hence the birth of the viral movement. Meanwhile, Chadwick Boseman’s fans are furious about the proposal. Check out their reactions below:
Kang has yet to reach his full peak, that’s why
It may not matter to some of y’all, but Chadwick left such an impact to the MCU and crew that they respectfully thought they let the character die with him
Now, I’m not saying it’s popular but who knows when they do a Reboot,…
— Ayo T Adebayo (@FrequencyAyo) December 16, 2023
The circumstances of what happend to both of them are very different
— Dantrell (@DantrellLawren1) December 16, 2023
Omg. Let this shit go Elsa. It’s not going to happen.
— Jenny want (@Jenny__Wa902) December 18, 2023
Majors didn’t die tragically…
Do you hear yourself?
— Chance the Scrapper (@DrewEveryday) December 19, 2023
Two different conversations entirely. Why you feel the need to put them together is bizarre.
— truth slangmore (@joechilltown) December 19, 2023
the director lost a personal friend and so did the entire cast. the director didn’t wanna do that. it’s not as simple as someone being a shitty person. but people like you care more about fictional characters than the humans behind the scenes
— vito the vampire slayer (@carolcorpsman) December 19, 2023
It remains to be seen what Marvel Studios would do to address these controversies surrounding Black Panther and Kang the Conqueror. For now, fans are quite in a heated argument on social media about the recasting.
RELATED: Black Panther: Daniel Kaluuya Worries Fans Will Be Disappointed With Chadwick Boseman’s Absence
