When Marvel Studios revealed that
they plan to include superhero Black Panther in the MCU films, their pick for
the role had been African-American actor Chadwick Boseman. Already famous for
portraying Jackie Robinson in “42” and James Brown in “Get on Up,” Boseman
cemented a new character role for himself as King T’Challa of Wakanda in three
MCU film appearances plus a solo in 2018’s “Black Panther.” Hailed as a landmark
film with its predominantly African-American cast, the movie also had director
Ryan Coogler to make it awesome. He was also looking forward to Marvel Studios’
planned sequel, and was heartbroken by Boseman’s 2020 death.
As Entertainment Tonight puts it, Ryan Coogler is still pretty down
about Chadwick Boseman, the star of “Black Panther” on the MCU who passed away
in August last year. On the “Jemele Hill is Unbothered” podcast by sports
journalist Jemele Hill, dated Tuesday March 9, Coogler opened up about how his
directing “Black Panther 2” is the hardest thing he would have to do as a
filmmaker. That is pretty much understandable considering the sequel project lost
its lead actor. The director, now 34, noted how difficult it is to gain
perspective on a life experience while currently living it.
"This is one of the more
profound things that I've gone through in my life, having to be a part of
keeping this project going without this particular person who is like the glue
who held it together," Coogler tells Hill adding, "I'm trying to find
a work-life balance. But I'm not there yet.” He is trying to put a positive
spin on his feeling of loss regarding Boseman, and is doing so by seeing the
scene in the first “Black Panther” where the late actor’s T’Challa would visit
the spiritual plane to confer with his father and ancestor spirits.
"You spend your life hearing
about people like him. For this individual, who is an ancestor now, I was there
for it,” says Coogler on this belief. “It's such an incredible privilege that
fills you up as much as it knocks you out. So often as Black people, we have to
pick up the pieces after loss." While no further news is forthcoming, “Black
Panther 2” is scheduled to premiere in July of 2022. Ryan Coogler has also been
engaged with Disney+ to develop a streaming MCU series about Wakanda.
Image courtesy of Daily Mail
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