Following Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing in August 2020, theBlack Panthersequel left many fans, cast, and crew wondering where the story would be headed next and if it would even continue. As the now titledBlack Panther: Wakanda Forevernears the end of filming, star Martin Freeman has shared what it has been like working on set without Boseman.
The sequel comes over two years after Boseman’s passing due to colon cancer. Many wondered if his iconic role asBlack Pantherwould be recast, and even Boseman’s own brother shared that the late actor would’ve wanted his role to be recast in order to live on through younger generations. However,director Ryan Cooglerand many of the producers agreed that the role would not be recast and that they would work around the original script.
RELATED:Black Panther 2: Angela Bassett Says The Sequel Will Be Even Better
For many, returning to set was of course not easy. Freeman, who isreprising his role as agent Everett K. Rossafter appearing in 2016’sCaptain America: Civil War and the firstBlack Pantherfilm, described the feeling on set to Collider’s Christina Radish. “It was strange, that side of it. On the one hand, you’re making the film that you’re there to make, and there are scores and scores of people on set, joined in this endeavor to make the film. But there’s also no question that, at the heart of it, there’s quite a gap now, and you felt it," Freeman shared. “With full respect to Ryan Coogler and everybody else, who’s sweating and bleeding to get this thing done properly, it was fun. It was enjoyable. I was in and out of it quite quickly, I think. But I like playing Everett Ross. He’s a very fun character to play. He’s nicely simpatico for the story. He’s a good guy. But it was odd. Of course, it was odd with Chadwick [Boseman] not being there. There’s no way around that.”
For Freeman, and most likely the majority of the cast and crew, there still felt like a story to tell with other characters in the world of Wakanda. “I think everyone would find it pretty strange and sad, but at the same time, life things don’t just end. It’s not like, ‘Well, that’s that’s happened, so we just all have to go off and never do it again.’ But it was odd,” Freeman said. “When he passed, I thought, ‘Okay, well maybe there just won’t be another one.’ But there are still other stories to tell within that world and other great characters. I think, and I hope that we’ve made a good film. I trust Ryan Coogler a lot.”
And while details have been kept under wraps, it looks like the sequel will do just that: continue expanding the world of Wakanda while also exploring the stories of many returning and new characters such asLetitia Wright’s Shuriand Winston Duke’s M’Baku. With filming being back on track following a hectic past few months filled with set injuries and several COVID-19 cases, fans can expect more details, including a possible first teaser trailer, to surface in the coming months.
Perhaps the first trailer will premiere ahead ofThor: Love and Thunder, a film that isrumored to have ties withBlack Panther 2. Other returning cast members include Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, and Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi. New additions include Michaela Coel in an undisclosed role and Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart, a genius inventor who creates a suit that rivals Tony Stark’s Iron Man armor.
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreveris finally set to arrive in theatres on November 11th, 2022.
MORE:5 Essential Aspects Of Namor That Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Needs To Get Right
