The loss of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman was a devastating moment for fans everywhere. As the first Black superhero in the MCU to receive a standalone movie, the character was a monumental step forward for representation.
Following the passing of Boseman last year, Marvel announced that they would not be recasting Black Panther. With so much of Boseman engrained into the character of King T'Challa, Marvel is seemingly deciding to move the mantle of the Panther to another character without replacing T'Challa's actor.
Black Panther recast petition
Despite Marvel's wish to not recast Boseman, fans are starting to want more stories with the Wakandan king. It's common knowledge that Black Panther 2 will focus on other characters with all signs pointing to Shuri.
A new petition with over 4,000 signatures right now is asking for T'Challa to remain the central character. The petition claims that recasting the character is what Boseman would've wanted. Fans cite a quote by the actor that says he wants people to see the role and not himself.
“Recast T’Challa is not a call to replace Chadwick Boseman. (No one could ever do that.),” reads the petition. “It is not asking for an immediate replacement either. Nor is this calling for the prevention of other characters to take up the mantle of Black Panther like Shuri or anyone else.
As the first Black superhero in mainstream comics and the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), T’Challa is literally Black history. He was created in 1966, during the Civil Rights era, to be the embodiment of positive Black representation. His character was also instrumental in uplifting Black female characters such as Storm, the Dora Milaje, and his own sister Shuri. There is no more positive form of representation in Black culture than strong Black men and women supporting one another. T’Challa’s character was only scratching the surface with his story in the MCU, and there is so much more left to tell.”
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The future of Chadwick Boseman in the MCU
Chadwick Boseman’s final MCU performance has yet to be released. Disney has announced that the actor finished recording lines for their animated What If series on Disney+. In the show, Boseman will play a T'Challa that gets stolen by The Ravagers instead of Peter Quill, becoming Star-Lord.
Fans have also speculated that the character could appear in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The country of Wakanda plays a key role in the story with the release of Zemo, the past King's murderer. However, Disney has yet to confirm this rumour so take it with massive heap of salt.
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