Everyone was heartbroken when the news broke that “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman tragically died of colon cancer. Since that time, there has been a growing curiosity about how Marvel Studios and director Ryan Coogler plan to move forward with the superhero franchise without the beloved actor and lead character. Marvel brass previously stated publicly that they don’t plan on either recasting Boseman’s role as King T’Challa or morbidly using a digital double of the late actor.
While we’ll likely be in the dark for a little bit longer, actress Angela Bassett has revealed how large the creative undertaking is to get the film’s script in a place where folks involved felt comfortable going ahead with production. During an interview with revealed Entertainment Tonight, Bassett mentioned that co-writers Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole have worked on five different variations of the script with a sixth on the way.
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“I don’t know what it’s going to look like at all. There have been about five incarnations of the script, and I hear another one’s coming,” the “Black Panther” actress told Entertainment Tonight while promoting her upcoming film “Gunpowder Milkshake.”
Bassett continued by praising the work being done to get things just right, “Of course, with our dear king [Boseman] going on to glory, a lot of things had to be shifted and changed. So, thankfully, [director] Ryan [Coogler] and [writer] Joe Robert Cole, they’re just such masterful storytellers that they’ve found a way into this world and hopefully it will be satisfying, I think, for the fans and it will be honorable of our Chad. We love our king.”
Ryan Coogler Explains Decision To Stay On ‘Black Panther 2’: “It Would Be Harder For Me To Stop”
There is a lot of pressure on the shoulders of Ryan Coogler after the original film earned a bunch of Oscar statues, became a billion-dollar hit internationally while smashing records and Hollywood myths about black-led casts making money overseas. Developing multiple takes with various characters in the lead isn’t hard to imagine either.
Marvel ‘Wakanda’ Series In The Works For Disney+ As Ryan Coogler Signs New 5-Year Disney TV Deal
It was announced not too long ago that cameras have begun rolling on “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in Atlanta, so they’ve at least figured out things enough to start shooting.
Tweaking a script in the middle of production isn’t that uncommon for Marvel Studios or even adding a new screenwriter. Sometimes we don’t hear about various writers’ involvement, officially, until filming has been completed.
There is also an untitled Wakanda series heading to Disney+ from Ryan Coogler; we’re still waiting on official details but will likely focus on the Dora Milaje, the fearless female warriors led by Danai Gurira‘s Okoye.