One of the biggest talking points in the buildup to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been the ongoing back-and-forth about the identity of the next character to inherit the titular mantle.
All the signs are pointing towards Letitia Wright’s Shuri following in the footsteps of her comic book counterpart, although there are definitely at least a couple of other feasible candidates. However, social media has spent a long time pushing the #RecastTChalla movement, making a case for another actor to simply take over the part from the late Chadwick Boseman.
Continuing a billion-dollar superhero franchise following the tragic passing of its leading man is no easy task, and while you imagine Marvel would have considered each and every one of the available options, producer Nate Moore explained to Total Film why recasting wouldn’t be fair on anyone.
“I don’t know if anything about it was an easy decision. But it was a decision that, once made, we all believed in, and it led us on a path forward. I could not imagine turning to the best young actor in the world who wasn’t Chadwick, and being like, ‘Okay, so you’re T’Challa.’ I could not, and cannot, imagine that. I really couldn’t. Other people will have a different answer to that question. And we’re very aware of the talkback, and how people feel. And I think all of that, to be quite honest, is fair. Everybody’s going to have a different opinion. I can just say, after being in it, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t get there.”
Boseman’s legacy will live on through Wakanda Forever and beyond regardless of who takes over as the new Black Panther, and fans have been getting emotional enough as it is at the footage on display in the various trailers, teasers, and promo spots. There’s nobody who can replace the Academy Award-nominated star, and it would be a fool’s errand to even try.
