When Black Panther hit theaters in 2018, it became a cultural phenomenon. Chadwick Boseman portrayed the hero from the fictional African nation of Wakanda, introducing the world to the legendary comic book character. Sadly, Boseman passed away in 2020. Marvel Studios vowed they would not recast the role of T’Challa. It seems the studio might be reversing course. While T’Challa did not appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a recent rumor indicates the studio may be looking to recast the role for the third movie.
Black Panther 3 To Recast T’Challa?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is going through a bit of reorganizing. The response from fans of the recent movies and streaming shows has been lukewarm at best. Kang the Conqueror was billed as the next great villain, the thorn in the Avengers side. Last year, Marvel Studios showed signs of taking the storyline in a different direction when they announced Robert Downey Jr. would be playing Dr. Doom in the upcoming Avengers movies. It seems in the reshuffling, the role of T’Challa may also be getting recast. Insider Jeff Sneider reported the studio has already started looking.
“With Marvel reshuffling the deck in advance of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and Robert Downey Jr. coming back, not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom, I’m told that the door is firmly open for T’Challa to be recast via the magic of the multiverse.”
A story that involves infinite worlds makes recasting any character very simple. The new actor could be passed off as the Black Panther from another world that ends up sticking around after his world is destroyed. Given the popularity of the character, it isn’t surprising to hear that Marvel Studios wants to bring it back to the big screen. The question remains: will anyone accept the role?
Will Anyone Accept The Role?
Sneider points out in his report that wanting to recast T’Challa and getting someone to actually accept are two different things. Hollywood mourned when Boseman died as his impact went far beyond his work as Black Panther. According to the insider, an actor was already offered the role but turned it down out of respect for the late actor.
“I heard that an actor was actually offered the role this past fall, a couple of months after Downey’s big reveal at Comic-Con, but they turned it down, not wanting to jeopardize their career momentum by stepping into Boseman’s gigantic shoes, which may be too big to fill, even for Hollywood’s most talented Black actors.”
Whoever takes the role will be under fire by some people. The studio itself will likely take some heat for reversing course on their promise. Actors know this. Whoever the person was that turned down the role of T’Challa didn’t want to risk the backlash. Sneider did reveal that director Ryan Coogler will be involved in the process of choosing the next actor and that it would be done with the utmost care. Still, it remains to be seen whether someone will actually accept.
Final Thoughts
Sneider ended his report by saying he believes T’Challa will be the lead character in Black Panther 3. Regardless of the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, someone will want to take on the role to honor him as well as put their stamp on the MCU. Marvel Studios has their work cut out for them in 2o25 and beyond. They have gone through a bit of a rough patch and have to show fans they can return the cinematic universe to its former glory. Their first shot is in about a month when Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters in February of this year.
