Regardless of the level of Marvel fanaticism, Chadwick Boseman’s death was undoubtedly a huge blow to a lot of people, so it only makes sense that T’Challa’s death in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever It felt somewhat devastated. After the actor’s untimely death in August 2020, the question was whether or not black panther 2 It will step forward, as well as who (if any) can assume the mantle of Wakanda’s new champion. Director Ryan Coogler and screenwriter Joe Robert Cole opened up about how the young king’s death was decided to be addressed in the MCU sequel.
Wakanda foreverThe editorial focuses on T’Challa’s death, giving fans hardly any time to prepare themselves as Shuri furiously attempts to find a cure for her brother’s virus and her health rapidly deteriorates. Joe Robert Cole said New York times How and why the creative team decided how to execute this highly anticipated scene, stating that it marked the beginning of seeing an evolved version of Shuri. In his own words:
Practically everyone has been waiting to see how we handle it, so doing this in advance makes sense. In terms of characters, we needed to introduce a different version of Shuri. We show the moment you became a different person than the person we met. She is the smartest person in the world, but she can’t save her brother. What does that do for you?
The scene was truly heart-wrenching, as moviegoers already knew what the end result would be, even if it wasn’t clear exactly how or when. With Shuri at the forefront, her brilliance is put to the ultimate test, with science and her abilities still not enough to reverse such a profound tragedy. So instead of making it all about T’Challa’s demise, which was already painful enough, the sequence was basically a way to break Letitia Wright’s character down to the point where she could rise to properly assume the mantle of Black Panther.
As for why they decided T’Challa would die of a physical illness, Ryan Coogler explains that it was more so that it could be an internal fight for Shuri as her brother, since it’s all about bringing her closer to embracing her role as the Black Panther, not about her exiting. angry to avenge his death. According to Coogler:
If someone else had taken out T’Challa, Shuri would have been looking for that person. We wanted the place to go to be the only place we go internally.
It certainly makes me wonder how the movie would have been different had the creative team chosen to handle T’Challa’s death in other ways, such as having one or more antagonists directly responsible. Theoretically, Cole could still have found a way to make the revenge mission fit Shuri’s inner struggles, but that’s it for What if…? universe, I suppose.
If the editorial wasn’t emotional enough, Wakanda foreverIt’s also very likely that his end credits scene made fans shed a tear or ten. (I knew, because I was one of them.) The finale introduced T’Challa and Nakia’s son, with the father-son bond intended to be an integral part of the sequel’s storytelling, if not for the death of Chadwick Boseman. It’s sad to think of “what could have been,” but the end result was a beautiful homage to Bozeman and really showcased Shuri Letitia Wright in a wonderful way.
Make sure to sign up for a Disney+ subscription if you haven’t already, so you can be the first to watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever When it’s added to the streamer, which will happen on January 20th. Check out all the upcoming Marvel Phases 5 and 6 movies while you wait!
