When Chadwick Boseman passed away in late August of 2020, it was the question on everyone’s minds: What happens to Black Panther II? The first Panther became one of the biggest movies in Marvel’s history, and the sequel had been officially announced in 2019. Would the film recast Boseman’s role as King T’Challa? Would Marvel find another character to become a new Black Panther?

It looks as though the answer will be the latter. During his presentation for Disney’s Investor Day, Marvel President Kevin Feige confirmed that T’Challa will not be recast. Black Panther II s still moving forward, however, and the film is still scheduled to open in theaters in a few years, from writer and director Ryan Coogler. Instead, according to Disney’s official Twitter account, the film will honor “Chadwick Boseman’s legacy & portrayal of T’Challa” and will “explore the world of Wakanda & the rich characters introduced in the first film.”

While not explicitly stated, that definitely suggests that we’ll see a new Black Panther, perhaps Shuri, played in the first film by Letitia Wright. That would be the most comic accurate story Black Panther II could tell, but it’s not the only one. A Black Panther II focusing on Winston Duke’s M’Baku could be pretty amazing, for just one example. Whoever is wearing the Black Panther costume, Black Panther II is scheduled to open in theaters on July 8, 2022.

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