Marvel Studios is reportedly “firmly open” to recasting T’Challa/Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The role was initially played by the late Chadwick Boseman – who debuted in 2016’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’ before starring in his own movie ‘Black Panther’ two years later – prior to his passing in 2020 and Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider has now claimed Marvel is looking for another actor to take on the role of T’Challa. The original ‘Black Panther’ film grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide.
Sneider added the studio was only considering recasting T’Challa now that the franchise was exploring the multi-verse, and also pointed to ‘Iron Man’ star Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the series as Doctor Doom in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ as another reason why Marvel was open to bringing the character back with another actor. The multiverse concept has become a central element in Phase 4 of the MCU.
Sneider claimed that the role of T’Challa had been offered to an unknown actor last autumn but they turned the offer down because they didn’t want to potentially “jeopardise their career” by “stepping into Boseman’s gigantic shoes”. Boseman’s portrayal earned him numerous accolades and critical acclaim.
While Sneider is fairly sure T’Challa will appear in the MCU again, the insider doesn’t know whether the character will be a part of ‘Doomsday’ or ‘Secret Wars’ before the third ‘Black Panther’ movie. These upcoming films are part of Marvel’s Phase 6 lineup.
After his starring performance in ‘Black Panther’, Boseman returned as T’Challa in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and was last seen in 2019’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’ before his death in 2020 at the age of 43 after a battle with colon cancer. His final MCU appearance drew massive audiences worldwide.
Following Boseman’s passing, the series – which is helmed by director Ryan Cooger – pivoted to focus on T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) as she took on the mantle of the superhero in the 2022 sequel ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. The sequel earned over $850 million globally.
Last year, Wright teased that there was a “lot coming up” for the character. Her performance as Shuri has received widespread praise from both critics and audiences.
During an appearance on ‘The View’, the 31-year-old actress said: “[Shuri is] one of my favourite characters. Such a blessing, honestly. I kid you not, I’m so grateful for her.”
In January 2023, Wright said a third ‘Black Panther’ blockbuster was “already in the works”. The announcement generated significant buzz among MCU fans.
“You know, we just had a terrific two years of bringing it out and everybody coming together to support it,” she told Variety. “We need a little bit of a break, we need to regroup and Ryan [Coogler] needs to get back into the lab, so it’s going to take a little while, but we’re really excited for you guys to see that.”
The film was then revealed to be in active development by Denzel Washington in November as he revealed that a part in the blockbuster would be one of his final roles before retirement. Washington’s involvement has sparked intense speculation among fans.
The ‘Gladiator II’ star said on Australia’s ‘Today’ show: “I played Othello at 22, I’m now going to play it at 70. After that, I’m playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next ‘Black Panther’. After that, I’m gonna do the film Othello. After that I’m gonna do King Lear. After that, I’m gonna retire.”
The potential recasting of T’Challa represents one of Marvel’s most significant casting decisions since the inception of the MCU, with implications for both the franchise’s future and its cultural impact in the entertainment industry.
