Marvel Studios is gearing up to start production on the Black Panther sequel. The studio has been reserved when it comes to discussing Black Panther 2, especially since the unexpected death of the movie’s star Chadwick Boseman in August, but there are new reports about a timeline for filming.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel is now getting ready to shoot the highly-anticipated sequel and sources tell the publication that shooting will start in Atlanta in July and last for around six months. The film studio has not released any movies this year due to delays caused by COVID-19, making this the first year since 2009 that saw no releases from Marvel.
The filming for the sequel was initially planned for a March 2021 production start but those plans were delayed after Boseman’s death. The movie’s director Ryan Coogler decided to sideline the project to grieve and to figure out how to continue the story without the late actor.
Stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke and Angela Bassett are said to be returning for the second installment of the superhero franchise. THR reports that “Narcos: Mexico” star Tenoch Huerta is in talks to play one of the antagonists in the upcoming film. There are also reports that Wright’s character Shuri, who is T’Challa’s little sister, might take on a more prominent role going forward.
The actress opened up about continuing with the movie’s sequel after Boseman, who played the titular Black Panther in the hit 2018 Marvel movie, died after a long battle with colon cancer. “We’re just still mourning Chad, so it’s not something I even want to think about,” Wright told Porter magazine. “The thought of doing it without him is kinda strange.”
“We’re just grieving at the moment,” she added. “So it’s trying to find the light in the midst of it.”
Marvel did not comment on the reports and has still not shared how the studio plans to continue the movies without Boseman. Earlier this month, Marvel Studios Executive Vice President of Production Victoria Alonso spoke about the sequel and said there are no plans to replace the late actor with a CGI or digital version of himself.