Why Black Panther Shouldn’t Be Recast.
Yes, the world misses Black Panther but lets not get too hasty….
The world lost an Icon last summer. On August 28th 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, where morale was low and death was rampant, the world was rocked once again by the passing of Chadwick Boseman.
To everyone’s surprise, the cause of death was Colon Cancer, which was kept private from the general public and his co-stars. Knowing that he delivered amazing performances, while suffering with this illness is a testament to his legacy.
Boseman put his best foot forward in his popular roles as Jackie Robinson in “42”, James Brown in “Get On Up”, and as Levee Green in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” The role that he’s most known for however, is Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Boseman’s exceptional performance was one of the driving forces behind the massive success of the 2018 self titled film (and arguably the other 3 MCU movies he’s appeared in). Seeing that the Marvel Films are intertwined, Boseman’s death raised questions as to what’s going to happen with T’Challa’s character and most importantly, Black Panther II.
Four Months later at the Disney Investor Day Presentation, their questions were answered. MCU architect Kevin Feige officially announced Black Panther II (slated for 2022). He also stated that the role of T’Challa would not be recast. Feige doubled down on the decision one month later but in both instances, gave solid reasoning's as to why.
To no surprise, this isn’t sitting well with the internet. There’s an ongoing debate around if Feige made the right call. One side of the fandom agrees that Boseman’s portrayal of Black Panther transcends any other version of the character and that not recasting preserves his legacy. The other side believes that Black Panther’s role can be played by someone else, often stating that Marvel and DC have had several people play Spider-Man, The Hulk, and Batman.
Both sides are valid but I am on the side of not recasting Black Panther and its not due to any of the reasons I stated.
Its because not enough time has passed since Boseman’s death.
Boseman’s portrayal of Black Panther was inspiring to millions, especially African Americans. It’s totally understandable that’s who they see whenever they come across the character. Also just like Boseman’s family, they’re probably still mourning his death. I mean it’s only been five-going on six months.
The wounds are still pretty fresh, even for the Black Panther cast who’ve expressed how hard it is to move forward without Boseman. Throwing someone new in the mix so soon could easily be seen as insensitive to the cast, fans, and Boseman’s family. Is that the kind of environment you’d want your new Black Panther to come into? It wouldn’t be fair to them and their performance could suffer, opening up a whole new slew of problems.
Feige’s decision not to recast T’Challa and focusing the second movie on the World of Wakkanda could be a blessing in disguise. The cast and crew is more than capable of honoring Boseman’s legacy by giving it their all while filming. In return, the final product could provide even more healing for themselves and the world.
Hell, by then who knows? Maybe everyone will be at a place where the recasting idea is welcomed by the masses (including the cast) instead of sparking a debate.
In closing, if Chadwick Boseman wasn’t in the MCU, these conversations wouldn’t even be happening now. Kevin Feige is 100 percent in the right by not recasting. I do believe that decision was in the best interest of everyone mourning. We need to let all parties involved continue to recover from this tragic loss. The MCU isn’t going anywhere and things change all the time. This is Comic Books we’re talking about. Can I see someone taking over the role of T’Challa/Black Panther?
Sure. But this isn't the conversation for today.
