The road to the Wakanda universe is now open as cameras roll on the sequel to the 2018 Marvel blockbuster Black Panther.
Production on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever kicked off at Pinewood Studios, Atlanta, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige told Variety exclusively.
According to Feige, everyone from the original cast is coming back — without, of course, star Chadwick Boseman, who died in August 2020 after a four year battle with colon cancer. Director Ryan Coogler is returning to direct from his screenplay.
“It’s clearly very emotional without Chad,” Feige said before the Black Widow Global Fan Event in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. “But everyone is also very excited to bring the world of Wakanda back to the public and back to the fans. We’re going to do it in a way that would make Chad proud.”
Nothing has been said about the plot details of the sequel, and it’s impossible to determine the level of involvement of the previous cast in the sequel. But it’s likely Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o, Florence Kasumba, and Angela Bassett would all reprise their roles from the original film.
The first film opened in 2018, and immediately became a cultural sensation, especially among the black community and went on to gross $1.34 billion worldwide, making Black Panther Marvel’s highest-grossing non-Avengers movie of all time. In addition, it earned nominations for several awards including, the Oscars, where it competed for the best picture (the first superhero movie ever recognized in that category) and won the Oscars for score, costume design and production design.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set for release on July 8, 2022. It’s one of 26 upcoming titles on Marvel Studios’ slate for theatrical release and streaming on Disney Plus, including a TV series set within the world of Wakanda. The TV series is part of a multi-year overall television deal Coogler and his Proximity Media signed with The Walt Disney Company in February.
Production kick off on ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ was first reported exclusively by Variety.
