May promises to be an incredibly fascinating month in the world of entertainment. In the world of music, Top Dawg Entertainment and Dreamville have both teased new music from Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. In the world of sports, the 2021 NBA Playoffs are set to begin as LeBron James and Anthony Davis work through their respective injuries. Not to mention, Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson are preparing to star in the upcoming horror film, Spiral: From The Book of Saw. Adding to the excitement of the month, Marvel has shared a bit of news about an upcoming movie release of their own.
The wait is over because Marvel has finally shared the release date and title for the next Black Panther film. Black Panther II: Wakanda Forever will debut in theaters on July 8, 2022. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, the film is expected to star Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong'o. The cast and crew are expected to begin filming this summer in Atlanta, Georgia.
As the film's release nears, many are wondering how the cast and crew will acknowledge the passing of the late Chadwick Boseman. Boseman was set to return for the second film, but he sadly passed away after battling colon cancer. Fans have gone back and forth about the possibility of having an actor step into Boseman's role. In a recent interview, actress Lupita Nyong'o revealed that the film was "reshaped" to honor Boseman's legacy and the sense of loss that the cast deals with.
"People will ask me, ‘Are you excited to go back?’ Excitement isn’t the word. I feel like I’m in a very pensive and meditative state when it comes to Black Panther 2. His passing is still extremely raw for me. And I can’t even begin to imagine what it will be like to step on set and not have him there," Nyong'o told Yahoo.
"We have a leader in Ryan, who feels very much like we do, who feels the loss in a very, very real way as well. And his idea, the way which he has reshaped the second movie is so respectful of the loss we’ve all experienced as a cast and as a world. So it feels spiritually and emotionally correct to do this. And hopefully, what I do look forward to, is getting back together and honoring what he started with us and holding his light through it."
Fans around the world will get to see how the Black Panther family takes this next step in the months to come. In the meantime, Marvel prepares the release of Black Widow, The Eternals and Shang Chi: and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
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