Recently, Disney made a wide range of exciting announcements regarding its ongoing slate of projects and franchises. With all the excitement, however, came a more sober announcement as well: Walt Disney and Marvel Studios confirmed that they would not be recasting the character T'Challa out of respect for the late Chadwick Boseman. While some had speculated about whether or not Marvel would recast the character in order to continue its plans for Black Panther 2, this announcement officially puts an end to any ideas that someone would be stepping into Chadwick Boseman's iconic role.
Chadwick Boseman passed away from colon cancer at the age of 43. While he was diagnosed in 2016, the actor kept the news private, and continued filming several films, including Black Panther, while also undergoing treatment. During Disney's Investor Day, president Kevin Feige remembered Boseman's passing as the "devastating loss of a dear friend and a member of the Marvel Studios family."
Feige's announcement was short and to the point: "Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives. His portrayal of T'Challa the Black Panther is iconic and transcends any iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel's past. It's for that reason we will not recast the character." He went on to confirm, however, that the studio will continue to explore the country of Wakanda, and that the characters from the Black Panther movie would still be around. Black Panther 2 is still in the works with writer/director Ryan Coogler already "hard at work" on the highly-anticipated project.
Kevin Feige did not announce how the studio plans to address the change in-universe. Presumably, the films will have to address the loss of Chadwick Boseman, and therefore T'Challa, in some way, given the significance of his character, but as of the time of this writing, it is unknown what the exact plan is for the upcoming Black Panther 2. Black Panther 2 has undoubtedly had to undergo major changes as a result, and it's never easy to have a real world tragedy looming over a creative project. Whatever Marvel chooses to do, hopefully it will be able to honor Chadwick Boseman's legacy, and push forward with a Black Panther movie that captures the spirit of the original.
Source: USA Today