Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of the most talked about films of the year. It’s for good reason because coming off of the phenomenal success of Black Panther (2018), expectations have been sky-high. With the passing of lead actor, Chadwick Boseman, a lot of heavy circumstances have weighed on the film in its development. Director Ryan Coogler has mentioned in recent interviews that the original script was going to focus on T’Challa’s character. More specifically, audiences were going to take a deeper look into the character’s thoughts and challenges after being away.
In addition to simply making the film, Marvel also had the additional voice of fans expressing their desire to see the role of T’Challa recast. A viral petition to #RecastTChalla was created and has been constantly trending on social media whenever Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has any news drop. With that said, there was some curiosity as to how much Marvel paid attention to the fan outcry. In our previous interview with Marvel on the #RecastTChalla movement, it was stated that the campaign was “not wrong” and that Marvel had indeed been aware of the movement. As a follow-up, the question was asked about whether or not the campaign influenced the direction of the film.
Spoiler Alert for Black Panther Wakanda Forever
The post credit scene for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever revealed to audiences a new character named “Toussaint”. However, his real name was “Prince T’Challa, son of King T’Challa. This implied that T’Challa and Nakia had a child before the King of Wakanda passed away. Marvel provided an unexpected answer concerning the original script of the film. Read below.
The Movie Blog: With the whole [#RecastTChalla] campaign in mind, and given the post-credit scene, did the fan desire influence any of the [post-credit scene}?
Nate Moore: Look, the ending of the movie, ironically, at least the idea of that character that we introduced at the end, was actually in the draft before [Chadwick Boseman] passed. Interestingly enough, the original version of this movie was T’Challa meeting [Prince T’Challa] for the first time and having to reconcile being a father. So it wasn’t a reaction to anything. It was actually an idea that was about renewal already.
Nate Moore: In cannon, obviously [T’Challa] was gone for five years….There was this person out there he didn’t know existed. So we retained that. In either version, it’s about loss, but also the triumph that can come out of loss. It didn’t seem like we should take it out. Right? And I think it’s an interesting place to find Nakia. You know? So yeah, ironically not a reaction to anything online. It was an idea that Ryan [Coogler] had a year before.
Moore’s comments certainly have given Marvel fans a lot to think about. The idea of having Boseman’s T’Challa further develop as a character was already something of much desire, but to have him reconcile with having a child would be a sight to see too. Furthermore, Marvel has lacked in the presentation of positive Black fathers. This seemed like a missed opportunity to showcase that in one of the most predominantly popular franchises that affect Black culture. On the other hand, some comic fans may appreciate the new direction with Prince T’Challa. The comics portrayed T’Challa as a young king who lost his father at an early age. There’s also the possibility of having Prince T’Challa meet a young version of Storm to continue the portrayal of Black love in the comics. Anything seems possible with Marvel.
You can watch both parts of our exclusive interview with Nate Moore below. You can also read our spoiler-free review here or watch it below.
Director: Ryan Coogler Writer(s): Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole Stars: Letitia Wright,Tenoch Huerta, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Dominque Thorne, Martin Freeman Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now in theaters. Be sure to follow E-Man’s Movie Reviews on Facebook, Subscribe on YouTube, or follow me on Twitter/IG @EmansReviews for even more movie news and reviews!
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About Emmanuel "E-Man" Noisette
Emmanuel is a Rotten Tomatoes Approved, Chicago film critic who founded Eman's Movie Reviews. He's contributed to other outlets such as ScreenRant andThe Wrap, and has been featured on television such as MSNBC. Be sure to join the other fans on his Facebook Fan Page for even more movie opinions and fun. Feel free to contact him with any professional inquiries: [email protected]
