Past, Present, Future: The Legacy of Chadwick Boseman

Since the release of the first Black Panther movie in 2020, there have been huge changes in the Marvel universe and the real world due to the tragic death of their lead actor. On August 28, 2020, Chadwick Boseman who portrayed T'Challain in the original film, passed away from colorectal cancer. The Marvel Universe experienced a heavy loss, and the director of the recent film, Ryan Coogler, made the decision to have Boseman’s character, T’Challa, die in the movie as well. His co-stars dedicated the newest film to him as a tribute to his legacy and as a way to pay their respects. Along with its emotional impact on the film industry and his cast members, Boseman’s death also transformed the cinematic industry by changing the course of the entire plot of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and future Marvel movies. 

In the newest film, Shuri and Ramonda work together to stop the spread and use of Vibranium while mourning the loss of their beloved brother, T’Challa. They fight enemies and  make allies along the way, bringing the story together in an intriguing way that shows how friendship and enmity coexist in their lives. Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, expressed his concern in finding ways to finish the movie. When he was attending the David Lean lecture in Bafta, he said, “So the question was, how do you move on when your very existence, your very identity, was defined by another person, and you lose them? " Coogler struggled to  find motivation to complete the film as his lead actor - the movie’s foundation - was gone. 

The absence of Chawick Boseman opened up the movie’s plot for a storyline based on a mourning period for T’Challa, allowing viewers to empathize with each character as they grieved. Additionally, the original story was planned to be focused on the father-son relationship between T’Challa and his newly introduced son, Toussaint. However, with T’Challa gone, it was clear that a replacement father figure would distract from the emotions the director wanted to present. The relationship was meant to display the passing on of familial values and secrets. An exchange that wouldn’t be the same with someone other than T’Challa instilling these values in Toussaint.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever highlights the values of family, power, and acceptance, ultimately working to symbolize the strength of healing after tragedies. Any and all viewers can take away from the themes presented in the film. While T’Challa  was vital to the plot of the first movie, his on-screen death allowed for many advancements in the film and the development of various characters. In an effort to honor his legacy, the director of the film tied love and grief together to bind the past, present and future.