‘Black Panther’ Star Angela Bassett Says There Have Been Five Versions Of The ‘Wakanda Forever’ Script
It’s honestly still a shock to think thatChadwick Bosemanis no longer with us, taken away far too soon after a hard-fought (and entirely private) battle with cancer. In the meantime, Marvel head honchoKevin Feigehas tasked returning directorRyan Cooglerwith the seemingly gargantuan responsibility of moving ahead with theBlack Pantherfranchise in Boseman’s honor. Now,Entertainment Weekly reportsthat starAngela Bassettis giving us some brief insight into the numerous changes necessitated by Boseman’s irreplaceable loss for the upcomingBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The Only Constant Is Change
Having portrayed T’Challa’s mother Ramonda in the first film, Bassett’s presence in the sequel will likely bring an emotional heft to the proceedings. That doesn’t mean she’s privy toallthe details, of course, as the famously anti-spoiler Marvel machine is still firing on all cylinders. And for a franchise that’s used to adapting on the fly, the singular circumstances ofWakanda Forevermay be providing a unique challenge. Apparently, changes and revisions are still ongoing even thoughproduction officially began back in June. In Bassett’s own words, “I don’t know what it’s going to look like at all. There have been about five incarnations of the script and I hear another one’s coming.”
Marvel typically relies on a robust system of rewrites and scheduled reshoots on either end of production to bring each film to the finish line, but it’s understandable that things would seem to be slightly more complex when it comes to the highly-anticipatedBlack Panthersequel.Wakanda Foreverwill certainly be under an intense microscope of scrutiny from start to finish and, even more so than other MCU entries, it’s in everyone’s best interests — Boseman certainly not least of all — that the filmmakers get this right. Bassett goes on to talk about doing justice to Boseman’s legacy:
“Of course, with our dear king [Boseman] going on to glory, a lot of things had to be shifted and changed. So, thankfully, [director] Ryan [Coogler] and [writer]Joe Robert Cole, they’re just such masterful storytellers that they’ve found a way into this world and hopefully it will be satisfying, I think, for the fans and it will be honorable of our Chad. We love our king.”
Dealing with Tragedy
Sadly, filmmakers scrambling to change course after a movie star’s death seems like an all-too-common occurrence. Lucasfilm recently had to make similar adjustments in the wake of iconCarrie Fisher’spassing before production ofThe Rise of Skywalkerhad begun in earnest. In that instance, the well-meaning filmmakers and studio brass may have picked the most misguided option possible by attempting to scrap togethera posthumous performance for Fisher, compiled from leftover bits of deleted scenes fromThe Force Awakens. Thankfully, Marvel has already assured us thatthey will not recast Boseman’s roleor, presumably, use any deleted footage or digital trickery to bring Boseman’s T’Challa back.
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreveris currently filming and will likely bring back much of the original cast. Expect it to drop onJuly 8, 2022.
