Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman passes away

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'm surprised he was cast as Black Panther if the producers were aware of this. Just goes to show how much they wanted him for the role if they were willing to take the risk.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

So does this mean Shuri will be the new Black Panther in the sequel?

I don't know if right now is the time to start talking about swapping him out with a different character. It's just too soon.

I'm surprised he was cast as Black Panther if the producers were aware of this. Just goes to show how much they wanted him for the role if they were willing to take the risk.

He was cast in late 2014 & - according to reports - diagnosed in 2016, so this wouldn't have been known at the time. But the fact that - with the exception of Civil War - he shot all of his MCU appearances while battling cancer just makes him even more of an absolute f**king legend. I can't even begin to imagine filming major motion pictures while dealing with this.

While it would have been slightly awkward to recast the part after Civil War, it wouldn't have been nearly as difficult as it will be now. Hopefully they have shot some footage that could be used to justify a new Black Panther, either intentionally or as something that didn't make it into one of the other movies.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

So does this mean Shuri will be the new Black Panther in the sequel?

I don't know if right now is the time to start talking about swapping him out with a different character. It's just too soon.

I'm surprised he was cast as Black Panther if the producers were aware of this. Just goes to show how much they wanted him for the role if they were willing to take the risk.

He was cast in late 2014 & - according to reports - diagnosed in 2016, so this wouldn't have been known at the time. But the fact that - with the exception of Civil War - he shot all of his MCU appearances while battling cancer just makes him even more of an absolute f**king legend. I can't even begin to imagine filming major motion pictures while dealing with this.

While it would have been slightly awkward to recast the part after Civil War, it wouldn't have been nearly as difficult as it will be now. Hopefully they have shot some footage that could be used to justify a new Black Panther, either intentionally or as something that didn't make it into one of the other movies.

Just kill him off (how can be explained in exposition) and give Shuri the title. Then you don't need to cast anyone else.

That's almost certainly how they'll have to do it, it just would be easier if there were visuals that didn't reek of excessive CGI to use in place of exposition.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Just kill him off (how can be explained in exposition) and give Shuri the title. Then you don't need to cast anyone else.

That's almost certainly how they'll have to do it, it just would be easier if there were visuals that didn't reek of excessive CGI to use in place of exposition.

Not a chance in hell. Black Panther has become a too important and lucrative character to just toss him aside. I won't be surprised if Marvel has already chosen the next actor who will portray him (probably with Boseman's blessing too).

Shuri has already served as the successor to T'Challa in the comics as the Black Panther, albeit only long enough to help bring him back from the dead, so a movie based on that storyline is certainly one way they could transition to a new male actor playing T'Challa. But keeping her as the Black Panther would be a fairly easy way to add to the number of WoC superheroes in the MCU.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Just kill him off (how can be explained in exposition) and give Shuri the title. Then you don't need to cast anyone else.

That's almost certainly how they'll have to do it, it just would be easier if there were visuals that didn't reek of excessive CGI to use in place of exposition.

Not a chance in hell. Black Panther has become a too important and lucrative character to just toss him aside. I won't be surprised if Marvel has already chosen the next actor who will portray him (probably with Boseman's blessing too).

Shuri has already served as the successor to T'Challa in the comics as the Black Panther, albeit only long enough to help bring him back from the dead, so a movie based on that storyline is certainly one way they could transition to a new male actor playing T'Challa. But keeping her as the Black Panther would be a fairly easy way to add to the number of WoC superheroes in the MCU.

The comics are the comics and the movies are the movies. Shuri might be popular but she ain't T'Challa and will never be. I'm confident that by next summer, when Black Panther 2 will start production, Marvel would have announced Boseman's successor.   

Probably depends in part on how well Wonder Woman 1984 and Black Widow do later this year. In any case, simply having another actor take over the role of T'Challa is not a viable option.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Probably depends in part on how well Wonder Woman 1984 and Black Widow do later this year. In any case, simply having another actor take over the role of T'Challa is not a viable option.

Of course it is. They replaced Edward Norton with Mark Ruffalo and it worked just fine. Batman, Superman, James Bond, all iconic heroes that have been recast numerous times. It's the character that matters, not the actor.

They could easily replace the actor playing T'Challa if were to reboot the MCU, but no one's suggesting that. Yes, Norton was replaced by Ruffalo, but only film/comic nerds even realize that as the 2008 The Incredible Hulk is just barely an MCU film despite the Captain America easter egg in the film and William Hurt playing Thunderbolt Ross in both that film and as a minor character in various recent MCU films starting with Civil War. Moreover the MCU was only a vague idea, not Earth-199999 when Ruffalo replaced Norton, so it wasn't super obvious they had recast the role except to film/comic nerds.

It will be supremely obvious that they're getting someone different to play the part of T'Challa if they replace Boseman without an MCU reboot. Moreover, it's not T'Challa, but Black Panther that has the primary name recognition. They can easily replace the in-universe character that has the Black Panther role, be it with or without using Shuri as the next Black Panther. Last but certainly not least, allowing Shuri to be the next Black Panther, either on an ongoing basis or on a one-film transitional basis, will certainly be the best way to increase the merchandising opportunities. It's all about that Merch, 'bout that Merch, when it comes to comic book characters in film. Heck, even without Boseman's death they might have considered the idea of having Shuri be the Black Panther (tho certainly only on a one-film basis in that event) just to have the all-mighty Merch.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

They could easily replace the actor playing T'Challa if were to reboot the MCU, but no one's suggesting that. Yes, Norton was replaced by Ruffalo, but only film/comic nerds even realize that as the 2008 The Incredible Hulk is just barely an MCU film despite the Captain America easter egg in the film and William Hurt playing Thunderbolt Ross in both that film and as a minor character in various recent MCU films starting with Civil War. Moreover the MCU was only a vague idea, not Earth-199999 when Ruffalo replaced Norton, so it wasn't super obvious they had recast the role except to film/comic nerds.

Huh? When Norton was replaced by Ruffalo the MCU was already well underway with movies that established the principal players and was about to culminate in the first Avengers movie. Norton's dismissal was actually a big deal, and not only among fans.

Anyway, I disagree that any recasting will confuse people or that they will reject another actor in the role. Michael Gambon replaced Richard Harris in the middle of the Harry Potter series and nobody was confused. Granted, Dumbledore was a supporting, but still pivotal, character. But I still think that there is no problem recasting a major role in the middle of a franchise. As long as the actor is talented the audience will accept him.

The thing is, no one goes to see an MCU movie to see Bruce Banner.