In August 2020, actor Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away at the age of 43. The actor, who was best known for playing the Black Panther T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was due to feature in the upcoming sequel. Now, one of the film’s producers has promised that they won’t go down the path of a CGI recreation–Boseman will not feature in the movie.
In an interview with Argentine newspaper Clarín, reported on in English by Deadline, executive producer Victoria Alonso stated that Marvel Studios would not be using any sort of technology to recreate Boseman within the film. “There’s only one Chadwick, and he’s no longer with us,” Alonso says. “Sadly, our king has died in real life, not only in fiction, and we’re taking a little time to see how we continue the story and how to honor this chapter of what has unexpectedly happened to us, so painful and terrible to be honest.”
Alonso continued, praising the actor on a personal level. “Chadwick wasn’t only a wonderful human being, every day of the 5 years we spent together, but also, I believe, that what he did as a character elevated us as a company, and has left his moment on history.”
The first Black Panther earned over $1.3 billion at the international box office. It’s the fourth highest grossing film ever at the US box office.
CGI recreation has been used in other films to bring actors back, but rarely under circumstances like this. Furious 7, the seventh movie in the Fast & Furious franchise, used body doubles and CGI to bring back Brian O’Conner after the death of Paul Walker, but this was after the actor had already filmed several scenes in the movie, and the ending was re-written to send the character off. Star Wars has used digital recreation of actors like Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing, with varying levels of fidelity and grace, in recent films.
Black Panther 2 is currently scheduled to film in 2021 and release on May 26, 2022, although that date is likely to be pushed back. Ryan Coogler, the director and writer of the first film, is attached to return.
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