The sudden and tragic passing of actor Chadwick Boseman at the age of 43 on Friday has become one of the most impactful stories of late. The actor had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016 and so throughout what has been a career renaissance for him in recent years, he carried the weight of that diagnosis in secret and with dignity.
Only a few very close family and friends were aware of the true situation and a new story in THR this morning it has now been revealed that Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige and those working on the film series had no idea the extent of his illness and had no clue that he wouldn’t be around for the sequel until Feige was notified about his condition less than an hour before Boseman’s death.
The trade indicates Boseman himself, up until about a week before his passing, was convinced that he was going to beat the cancer and be able to gain the weight back to he could get back to work on the film by March of next year with preparation to have begun later this month.
Marvel Studios is said to be still processing their grief and will continue to pay tribute to Boseman and so there will not be any talk of a “Black Panther” sequel for some time. That hasn’t stopped speculation both wide, and inconsiderately timed from at least one outlet, about what happens next for the studio.
The only highly likely possibility at present is that the film’s scheduled release date in 2022, which was already dubious due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be pushed. For now the focus remains on the loss of the actor who has inspired so many in recent years.
Letitia Wright who played Shuri, the sister of Boseman’s T’Challa character, in the film has posted an incredibly touching video tribute to the actor which you can see below.