The tragic and unexpected passing of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman is still profoundly affecting people nearly a year later, and one thing that's been particularly uncertain the entire time has been the status of the film's still-in-development sequel. Subtitled Wakanda Forever, the second movie in the story of Black Panther has inspired many curious fans to wonder just how the series will continue without its lead character. Well, the answer to that may still be up in the air, but there's now at least one more returning cast member to keep things grounded.
Winston Duke, the actor behind the staunchly independent M'Baku in both Black Panther and the last 2 Avengers films, has just confirmed that he will be returning for the upcoming sequel. While his involvement wasn't exactly in question, the unique nature of the film has left many questions unanswered. So any concrete answers are particularly helpful, no matter how obvious they might have been. In fact, the sequel has been seeing multiple script revisions even during filming, so it's not surprising that things are being played close to the chest. While the film's premise and story are still being kept under wraps, Duke did have something to say regarding his official return.
"It was very emotional to read the script," Duke said when speaking with Collider. "It was emotional to pack to go back to set. But we're all a bit of a family now and we grieve together, and we're making something really special." It's not surprising to hear how affected the cast and crew still feel while working on such a meaningful project barely a year following Boseman's death. Black Panther was a truly impactful film in a number of ways, and now that its original driving force is gone, they may feel obligated to honor Boseman's legacy while remaining true to what made the original great.
M'Baku's story is a spin on one many have seen before. Starting out in Black Panther as the leader of self-imposed outcasts opposed to King T'Challa's (Boseman) rule, he and his followers eventually joined with the King, seeing the radical Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) as a much bigger threat. In far more than just an "enemy of my enemy" situation, however, M'Baku's support of T'Challa ultimately earned him a seat on the Tribal Council, giving him and his people the representation they needed and deserved.
Duke has made quite the name for himself in Hollywood over the years, moving from a one-off role in the popular crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to numerous high-profile supporting film roles in less than a decade. Some might remember him as the cleverly deceptive kingpin Dominic in Person of Interest, while others could be more fond of his role as roommate Hawk in the action-comedy film Spenser Confidential. But however fans remember him best, there's no denying he's earned his reputation as a particularly versatile performer.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still a bit of a mystery, and that's probably intentional by director Ryan Coogler. This is a truly impactful franchise for many people, as not only was the first film a critical and commercial success, but it also made big strides for Black representation in mainstream cinema. That's not even to mention the significant commentary it had on a number of social issues that are constantly relevant. So here's hoping the sequel lives up to its legacy. According to star Angela Bassett, it certainly looks promising. Wakanda Forever, indeed.
Source: Collider