Should Marvel Recast for ‘Black Panther 3?’ Here’s What We Think
Lately, rumors have circulated that Marvel is planning to recast Black Panther after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020. Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa was iconic. He brought strength and soul to the role, making it impossible to imagine anyone else playing the character.
In 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the story begins with T’Challa’s death; Letitia Wright’s Shuri (T’Challa’s sister, who previous appeared in 2018’s Black Panther, 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame) ultimately took on the mantle of the Black Panther.
The Case for Not Recasting T’Challa
For many fans, the idea of recasting T’Challa is unthinkable. In their minds, Boseman is the definitive T’Challa. Besides, upon his passing, the Marvel execs said they would not recast the character, according to CBR. T’Challa’s role not only in the Black Panther movies but also in the greater MCU carries emotional weight. We were invested in his story: from his father being murdered, to his discovery of his cousin and eventual nemesis N’Jadaka/Eric Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan), and his changing view on Wakanda being an isolated nation. T’Challa’s story was a journey and Boseman played him perfectly.
Recasting him with another actor would risky. And also: it doesn’t seem to make sense: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever seemed to pretty definitively state that T’Challa is dead.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever managed to honor Boseman’s legacy without recasting the role. The movie shifted its focus to Shuri, Lupita Nyong’o’s character Nakia and their son (Divine Love Konadu-Sun appeared as Toussaint) and other characters from Wakanda, and it worked. It showed that T’Challa’s legacy (and also that of Boseman) could live on, even if he isn’t physically there.
The Case for Recasting Black Panther
On the other hand, the character still has a lot of stories to tell. If Marvel doesn’t recast, the storylines of other characters will also be affected since he’s involved in the important story arcs of other MCU heroes.
Marvel — both in the comic books and the films — has long held the belief that the mantle of a character can be passed on. At one point in the comics, Peter Parker was no longer Spider-Man; he was replaced by a character named Ben Reilly (it was a terrible storyline, but still).
Steve Rogers isn’t the only person to have been Captain America: in the comic books, Isaiah Bradley had the mantle of Captain America after Rogers was presumed dead; his character debuted on screen in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier series on Disney+ and he’ll return in Captain America: Brave New World next month. John Walker, who also debuted in Falcon and the Winter Solider (played by Wyatt Russell), was once Captain America, and he’ll return in Thunderbolts*, due in theaters in May. His character will now be called “U.S. Agent.” And of course, Sam Wilson, aka the Falcon, has replaced Rogers in both the comic books and on camera, including in the upcoming film, which will star Anthony Mackie.
And Marvel Studios also has a track record of recasting roles; some of these include James “Rhodey” Rhodes, originally played by Terrence Howard, who was replaced by Don Cheadle. Bruce Banner/Hulk, was played by Edward Norton in 2008’s Incredible Hulk before being replaced by the charming Mark Ruffalo, starting with 2012’s The Avengers. And recently, Marvel has had to, again, deal with the death of a beloved actor: Harrison Ford will replace William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross; Hurt died in 2022. Ford makes his debut in Captain America: Brave New World. While recasting Black Panther is hugely different from the other mentioned roles, it’s not entirely unprecedented.
It is also good to know that Ryan Coogler, Black Panther‘s director is said to be involved in recasting the role and is making sure “everything will be handled with the utmost care and in consultation with Boseman’s family,” as reported by The Direct.
In the end, the question of whether Marvel should recast Black Panther doesn’t have an easy answer. But suffice it to say that all those involved taking their time and making sure Boseman’s legacy is honored, is an indication that they want to do right by him and by the fans. Replacing Shuri as the Black Panther might be a decent idea: Nakia might be a good choice, as would Danai Gurira’s Okoye. Another possibility could be Daniel Kaluuya’s W’Kabi: T’Challa’s friend turned foe. W’Kabi didn’t appear in Wakanda: Forever, reportedly because Kaluuya was busy filming Jordan Peele’s Nope, but his character is still alive and would be a good choice to be the next Black Panther. Same goes for Winston Duke’s M’Baku. And sure, they can cast an entirely new character to be “Black Panther.”
2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars are said to be the films that wrap up Marvel’s “Multiverse” saga. And sure, they could cast someone new to play a “variant” T’Challa from a different universe. But here’s hoping they don’t: of course, Black Panther should live on, whether it’s Shuri, or someone else. But to so many of us, Boseman is an unreplacable actor, and he is the one and only T’Challa.
