Ryan Coogler Says Making ‘Black Panther 2’ Without Chadwick Boseman Is ‘The Hardest Thing I’ve Had To Do In My Professional Life’

Ryan Coogler, Chadwick Boseman (2018)

Ryan Coogler Says Making ‘Black Panther 2’ Without Chadwick Boseman Is ‘The Hardest Thing I’ve Had To Do In My Professional Life’

Black Panther 2 is in the works, but it’s moving forward without its star Chadwick Boseman. 

As previously reported, Marvel heads have said that his role as T’Challa will not be recast. The late actor, who passed away in August 2020 after a private four-year battle with colon cancer, will also not appear in the film in digital form.

Now, director Ryan Coogler, who worked closely with Chadwick Boseman while making the first mega-successful film, has opened up about working on the sequel without him. He said of the tragic loss while on Jemele Hill Is Unobthered podcast,

“I’m still currently going through it. One thing that I’ve learned in my short or long time on this Earth is that it’s very difficult to have perspective on something while you’re going through it. This is one of the more profound things that I’ve gone through in my life, having to be a part of keeping this project going without this particular person who is like the glue who held it together.”

#BlackPanther2 is set to release in 2022 and on the latest episode, @jemelehill tries to get the inside scoop on the movie from director Ryan Coogler.

LISTEN:https://t.co/K3Z8eNh8m0 pic.twitter.com/EIEMctCfHZ

— Jemele Hill Is Unbothered (@JHillUnbothered) March 11, 2021

He continued,

“You have a professional life, you’ve got a personal life. Personal life, I’m going to say that when you work in something that you love, those things blend, they come together. I’m trying to find a work-life balance. But I’m not there yet, so this is without a question the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my professional life.”

Production for the sequel will reportedly begin this summer. It’s scheduled to be released on July 8, 2022. Ryan Coogler said while he’s “incredibly sad” about Chadwick Boseman, he’s also

“incredibly motivated that I got to spend time with him. You spend your life hearing about people like him. For this individual, who is an ancestor now, I was there for it. It’s such an incredible privilege that fills you up as much as it knocks you out. So often as Black people, we have to pick up the pieces after loss.”