American director Ryan Coogler (L) and American actor Chadwick Boseman pose on arrival for the European Premiere of 'Black Panther' in central London on February 8, 2018.Photo: TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images
Ryan Coogler and company have started production on the upcoming Marvel film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Cast and crew have gathered together in Atlanta, Georgia to begin their work at Pinewood Studios.
For the second installment of the growing Black Panther film franchise, Coogler will lead a cast that reportedly includes Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Letitia Wright and Lupita Nyong'o. Tragically, the first film's star, Chadwick Boseman, will not appear in the second film because he passed away last year after a long battle with colon cancer. In his honor, Marvel and Disney have dedicated the next film to him.
“It’s clearly very emotional without Chad,” Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said.
“But everyone is also very excited to bring the world of Wakanda back to the public and back to the fans. We’re going to do it in a way that would make Chad proud.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the latest project in Ryan Coogler's multi-million dollar deal with Marvel and Disney. In addition to working on the next Black Panther film, Coogler is also developing a series for Disney+ set in the Black Panther universe.
“We are especially excited that we will be taking our first leap with Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and their partners at Marvel Studios where we will be working closely with them on select MCU shows for Disney Plus,” Coogler said about his relationship with Marvel.
“We’re already in the mix on some projects that we can’t wait to share.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to hit theaters on July 8, 2022. The subsequent Disney+ series has not received a release date as of yet.
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