To the shock, and somewhat dismay, of Marvel fans everywhere, comes the word that there will be a Black Panther 2, even after the franchise lost the actor who portrayed the central character.
New details concerning the production date and new villain recently emerged in the geek news. The Hollywood Reporter Heat Vision newsletter confirmed that Marvel Studios intends to move full speed ahead with the sequel to Black Panther.
Image: The Star
This news is somewhat unnerving and weird, as the leading actor who portrayed Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman, passed away a few months back after an extended battle with cancer. Granted, the first film made the studio over $1 billion globally, this writer, for one, finds the whole idea a little hard for fans wrap their heads around.
The original start for production, March 2021, is reportedly no longer happening, with production having subsequently shifted to July 2021. It is anticipated that the sequel will be filmed in Marvel’s favorite choice for its movies, that of Atlanta, and it seems that one of the film’s villains is close to being confirmed as cast.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Tenoch Huerta, know for the online streaming service Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico is in talks with Marvel to portray one of the villains in Black Panther 2. At this point in time, fans can only speculate as to which villain he will be playing.
Image: Small Screen
Kraven the Hunter was desperately wanted for the first film, but the character was already attached to the Spider-Man franchise and was owned at that time by Sony. Hopes are that Kraven will appear this time around in the sequel.
It is unclear who will be the new Black Panther or if the other cast members will choose to return for the sequel. Although fans can see why Marvel would press forward with a Black Panther 2, there is still the niggling feeling that the whole situation is wrong. One could almost see it as an outright betrayal of the legacy that the actor Chadwick Boseman left behind for the character.