The world of superhero movies and fans of Marvel were shocked to the core when they heard about the unfortunate passing of actor Chadwick Boseman. The 43-year-old died of colon cancer, and suddenly the throne of the Black Panther was left vacant. In a recent interview, director Ryan Coogler revealed the real story of Black Panther’s sequel and how that was all thrown out of the window after Boseman’s death.
While appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ryan was asked about how Black Panther 2 wasn’t able to live up to its prequel. He revealed the actual story he had planned for the film, one which involved T’Challa, his son, and an important tradition of Wakanda. The filmmaker said, “The big thing with the script was a thing called the Ritual of 8, where when a prince is 8 years old, he must spend 8 days in the bush with his father.”
Coogler continued, “The rule is for those 8 days the prince can ask the father any question, and the father must answer. In the course of those 8 days, Namor launches an attack… He had to deal with someone who’s insanely dangerous, but because of this ritual, his son had to be joined at his hip the whole time, or else they’d violate this ritual that had never been broken. It was insane. Chadwick was going to kill it, but life goes as it goes.”
Ryan Coogler went on to say that Chadwick Boseman had said no to the project because he was too sick to do it. He said, “He was at a place where it wasn’t going to happen. Our relationship was very interesting. He meant a lot to me, but I found out after his passing from his family and his friends about how much I meant to him. That fucked me up pretty good. I wonder if he knew how much he meant to me. I did wonder… But I loved that script. I put so much into that version of the movie because I felt like I had gotten to know Chadwick as a performer. I threw a lot at him in the first Panther, but I realised I was just scratching the surface.”
Boseman’s death not only broke fans, but it also created a deep vacuum in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Panther is an integral part of the Avengers in the comics and is often involved in the main storyline and timelines. While his absence cut the legs of the sequel from under it, the bigger ensemble movies will also feel that gap. The country of Wakanda is also important to the overall story, as it is the source of the most sought-after metal in the universe, Vibranium. The same metal is used for the shield of Captain America, who is also returning for Avengers: Doomsday.
On the other hand, Chadwick Boseman received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Ryan Coogler, Viola Davis, and Boseman’s wife were all present at the ceremony.
