Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director and co-writer Ryan Coogler avoided discussing what the initial script for the eagerly anticipated sequel looked like before Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death in 2020 during the entire promotional tour for the film. Boseman’s King T’Challa dealing with the pain of losing five years on Earth as a result of being a victim of Thanos’s snap after Avengers: Infinity War (whereas the Wakandans in the finished product must deal with the pain of losing T’Challa), Coogler would make it clear that grief was still a major theme.
The film’s intensely moving mid-credits scene, in which it is revealed that Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and the late superhero had a little son (also named T’Challa, but going by the name Touissant in Haiti, where he resides with his mother) contains a crucial detail that the director was unable to share. Coogler lamented those years lost on Earth since he had always intended for T’Challa to have children.
When asked about the considerations that went into deciding to give T’Challa and Nakia a son, Coogler responds, “Honestly that’s what the [original] script was about.” It dealt with T’Challa’s impending fatherhood. As a result, there was no thought. We were making a movie based on that. After [Boseman] passed away, we made a slight change.
According to producer Nate Moore, Ryan intended to explore the idea of T’Challa experiencing fatherhood for the first time in that initial draft of the script. Therefore, it wasn’t a response to anything. It had a somewhat intriguing plot premise. It didn’t seem appropriate to give up on that just because Boseman passed away.
It most certainly isn’t intended to convey the message, “Oh hello, get ready for the new baby. It sounds more like, “Oh, what a fascinating story point.” It also, in my opinion, dimensionalizes Nakia’s relationship with the man and reveals the depth of their love for one another which I find to be profound.
Nevertheless, Coogler, Moore, Kevin Feige and the rest of the Marvel creative team deserve a lot of praise for coming up with such a classy answer to the question that sparked a heated discussion among fans in the years following Boseman’s passing: Should T’Challa be recast? The fact that there have been three Spider-Men in the last 20 years is cited by supporters. It is insulting, according to opponents, to recast so quickly.
With the introduction of a very young T’Challa, it appears that Marvel is essentially hinting that a new T’Challa might appear in the future. nevertheless, not too soon. Right? Coogler sighs after a long moment, “Yeah.” Moore is firmer in his statement: “Exact. I believe you are correct, because the movie’s conclusion just states, “Hey, there is a T’Challa,” rather than encouraging viewers to get ready for the sequel. The one we all knew and lost is not this one. And because of that, I believe it is more respectful of the loss.
Of course, when it came to the Black Panther role, Marvel had no choice but to replace Boseman. Even that, with no official announcement before release and a teaser that hinted at who it would be, led to months of fan conjecture. Shuri, his sister [Letitia Wright]? Nakia? Okoye by Danai Gurira? M’Baku played by Winston Duke?
In the end, they chose the clear option, and they hardly looked to be making an effort to conceal it. Look at the movie posters and promotions for the movie. Wright’s Shuri is positioned dead center, her arms crossed in the Wakanda salute. Shuri also took over the role of Black Panther in the comics, coincidentally in a storyline that also featured Namor, the primary enemy of Wakanda Forever (Tenoch Huerta).
Moore says, “It was the only talk we had.” Because we are aware of internet chats, it is interesting. But I also enjoy comic books a lot. If you consider the publishing industry, this was rather inevitable. She is the one who is most affected by T’Challa’s death if you think about it narratively in the context of the tale we were presenting. Given that Killmonger destroyed all of the heart-shaped herbs in the first movie, she may be the only person with the means to restore the Black Panther mantle.
Therefore, it made sense narratively. And in my opinion, it’s the only option from a purist perspective. For me, calling for M’Baku or Okoye resembled shooting darts at a dartboard. Letitia Wright does a great job. And Shuri’s progression in this movie from where she begins to where she concludes tells the tale of why she ought to be Black Panther.
