In a revealing interview with The Official Black Panther Podcast, writer/director Ryan Coogler shed light on many behind-the-scenes moments leading to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Only weeks away from the BP sequel’s theatrical release, early reviews are calling it one of Marvel Studios’ most personal and emotional stories put on film. In many ways, Wakanda Forever is a tribute to Chadwick Boseman as well as an artistic expression of their grief for the star, who passed away on Aug. 28, 2020 after secretly battling colon cancer.
Coogler explained that the original screenplay for the sequel was finished mere weeks before the world received the shocking news of Boseman’s death. Pouring his grief into the script, Coogler completely reworked the story in light of the tragedy.
Did Boseman get to read the original draft? In one of the most heartbreaking moments from the interview, Coogler revealed that answer lies within the final time he would speak to his friend. “My last conversation with him was calling him and asking him if he wanted to read it before I got notes from the studio,” he said. “That was the last time we spoke. And, yeah, he passed maybe a couple weeks after I finished.”
Sadly, Boseman was not up for reading anything at the time, likely due to his cancer treatments. “[H]e said he didn’t want to read it ‘cause he didn’t want to get in the way of whatever notes the studio might have or what have you,” Coogler explained. “So he was like, it’s better for him to read it later. I found out later he was too tired to read anything.”
Already, Wakanda Forever is receiving awards buzz ahead of its Nov. 11 U.S. premiere. It will likely take home plenty of accolades, but the recognition will undoubtedly make for bittersweet moments.