Lupita Nyong'o Agrees With The Decision Not To Recast T'Challa For Black Panther 2
The debate over Marvel's decision not to recast the character of T'Challa for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" or any other future Marvel properties following the death of Chadwick Boseman continues to rage on, even after the movie is now completed and debuts in less than a month. According to Mashable, who traced the origin of the #RecastT'Challa hashtag on Twitter, the hashtag started appearing just a few days after Boseman's death, but after the release of the trailer, which clearly showed a female form in the Black Panther suit, some of the comments on Twitter started to become misogynistic. The campaign has garnered multiple petitions, including one that is currently at over 61,000 signatures. Boseman's brother, Derrick, even told TMZ that he thought his late brother would have wanted the role recast.
In an interview with Total Film Magazine, Marvel VP Nate Moore explained why Marvel never even considered recasting T'Challa, saying that he couldn't imagine doing so. In an interview with Empire, Marvel Cinematic Universe czar Kevin Feige confirmed what many suspected about the decision not to recast: it was just too soon. "It just felt like it was much too soon to recast," Feige told Empire. "The world is still processing the loss of Chad. And Ryan poured that into the story."
Now, in a recent interview, Oscar winner and "Black Panther" star Lupita Nyong'o said she agrees with the decision not to recast the king of Wakanda.
She says real life should inform the movie
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lupita Nyong'o voiced her support for Marvel's decision not to recast Chadwick Boseman's beloved character. "That is not the death of the Black Panther, that's the whole point," she told THR. "It's laying to rest [T'Challa] and allowing for real life to inform the story of the movies. I know that there are all sorts of reasons why people want him to be recast, but I don't have the patience. I don't have the presence of mind, or I don't have the objectivity to argue with that. I don't. I'm very biased." Indeed she may be biased, but that doesn't necessarily mean she doesn't have a point.
Angela Bassett, who plays T'Challa's mother, Ramonda, told ET in 2021 that she had never considered the possibility of recasting the role or using CGI to recreate Boseman in the film but also referred to Boseman as "completely irreplaceable." Winston Duke, who plays M'Baku, expressed similar sentiments on the Jemele Hill Unbothered podcast. "I'm of the mind that this is Chadwick's role," said Duke. "So, I feel, as-is, the decision that's been made to keep T'Challa, Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa is one that has a lot of nobility in it." So it would seem that the cast generally agrees with the decision.