Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released imminently, and fans couldn't be more excited to see Shuri (probably) become the Wankandan superhero and Namor in his golden armor. However, the film wasn't without some major setbacks.
The new Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie was the subject of major on-set injuries and major actors not returning due to scheduling conflicts. The devastating passing of King T'Challa actor Chadwick Boously halted production too. But director Ryan Coogler and his cast and crew have seemingly made an incredible movie that will honor his legacy.
Ryan Coogler Almost Retired Before The Film
Chadwick Boearly positively impacted a lot of people's lives, as the whole production cast and crew of Wakanda Forever has been affected by his death in some capacity, and that goes for double when it comes to writer-director Ryan Coogler. Following the King T'Challa actor's passing, Coogler confessed that he considered retiring from filmmaking (per IndieWire).
The director admitted, "I was at a point when I was like, 'I'm walking away from this business,' I didn't know if I could make another movie period, [let alone] another Black Panther movie, because it hurt a lot." Ultimately, the filmmaker obviously decided to continue, and that was clearly for the best, as no other director could have delivered such a heartfelt film that Wakanda Forever is being praised for.
The Original Script Tackled T'Challa's Post-Endgame Struggles
Wakanda Forever is obviously different from what was originally planned with the series before Boseman's death. But, according to Coogler, the film isn't extremely different from the original script that most fans would assume. The director explained, "The tonal shift, I will say, was less of a shift than in [casting]. The tone was going to be similar. [T'Challa] was going to be grieving the loss of time, you know, coming back after being gone for five years."
Outside of recasting Black Panther, it's still about the character grieving the loss of time following the Avengers: Endgame blip. Not only that but Namor was always planned to be the antagonist too. However, the director also revealed that there were other characters written into the first script that don't appear in this version of the film, but he didn't reveal who those characters were.
Anthony Mackie Visited The Set
Anthony Mackie revealed that he visited the Wakanda Forever set in the middle of filming, and he of course immediately hyped up what he saw. The Captain America actor showered the movie with praise, noting, "It's going to be amazing, it's going to be spectacular. I'm not in it but I've been to the set, I've witnessed it."
However, Mackie might be downplaying his involvement in the film, and given his character's history with Black Panther in the comic books, he could definitely appear in Wakanda Forever. It's extremely rare when actors visit sets for no reason, and Mackie could have given away his cameo in the upcoming MCU movie.
Namor Was Originally Set To Appear In Black Panther
Fans are overwhelmingly excited to see Namor, a fan-favorite comic book character. And audiences have been waiting to see him appear in the MCU ever since he was referenced by Tony Stark in Iron Man 2, which was 12 years ago at this point.
However, despite the long wait, the villain was actually set to appear four years ago in the original Black Panther. According to Kevin Feige, Coogler himself pitched a post-credits scene featuring Namor. The producer explained, "Ryan had a pitch for a tag at the end of Black Panther. The camera would push through the palace in Wakanda, and then we'd see wet footprints leading up to the throne."
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Was A Big Influence
Given that Terminator 2: Judgment Day is such a groundbreaking action movie and still has better effects than most films released today, there's no denying that the 1991 release is a big influence on a lot of filmmakers. However, Coogler detailed exactly why the sequel's story was such a big inspiration for him when it came to writing Wakanda Forever.
The director mentioned, "You think about what T-1000 wants, and what Arnold Schwarzenegger's robot wants. They both want John Connor, but T-1000 wants to kill him, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's character wants to protect him. That's the movie." It seems as if the central premise of Wakanda Forever will be lifted from Judgment Day, presumably with Namor playing the T-1000 role and Shuri playing the T-800 role, the question is, who are they both after?
How Rihanna Was Convinced To Make The Soundtrack
More than any other movie in the MCU, Kendrick Lamar's soundtrack for Black Panther played an important role in the movie, and it seems as if Rihanna's soundtrack for the sequel has the same effect. "Lift Me Up" has instantly become one of the best original MCU songs, and the rest of the soundtrack is perfectly fitting too.
But given that it has been six years since Rihanna released an album, her involvement in the film came as a surprise to many. According to Coogler, Rihanna loved what she saw in post-production. The filmmaker explained, "I think it timed up that she was in that kind of space in her life, and she was open. It was really the trailer, I think, when she saw the performances that everybody was putting down."
Namor Is The One Superhero Clint Eastwood Considered Playing
In another universe, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could have been completely different. Though Clint Eastwood has turned down superhero roles like Superman, a character that movie stars would fight over like dogs fighting over a pork chop, there is one superhero he would have played, Namor the Sub-Mariner.
The character left a huge impression on the beloved actor and director, as Eastwood stated, "The Sub-Mariner, that’s the one I always liked. I had all of those comics when I was a kid." Though Tenoch Huerta looks like he's been perfectly cast as Namor, and while fans would rather see Eastwood play Batman, it'd be fascinating to see the western actor in the role.
Letitia Wright Severely Injured Herself On Set
While fans think there are multiple Black Panthers in the movie, it's all but confirmed that Shuri (Letitia Wright), is Wakanda's new superhero. And that explains why Wright incurred a severe injury whilst shooting the sequel. There's no denying that playing such an agile superhero like Black Panther is physically challenging, and the actor suffered because of it.
The actor injured herself while performing a stunt in a specialized rig, fracturing her shoulder, and her recovery time shut down production for four months. But Wright thinks it only made her stronger, noting, "The journey wasn’t pain-free, but you can stand on top of the mountain and say you did it. Hopefully, that transfers to the film."
Daniel Kaluuya Didn't Return Due To Scheduling Conflicts
Though it seemed as if W'Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) was being set up for a bigger role at the end of Black Panther, Kaluuya isn't actually returning for the sequel. Kaluuya cited scheduling conflicts for not being able to return to the world, as it was a choice between Wakanda Forever and the horror movie Nope.
It's common knowledge in Tinseltown that "scheduling conflicts" doesn't always mean that actors are too busy with a different project. It's often code for some kind of creative differences or on-set tensions. However, in Kaluuya's case, it seems like it really was one or the other. However, a surprise cameo still isn't to be ruled out.
Martin Freeman Thought Filming Was Odd Without Boseman
Amongst all of the wild updates and exciting news surrounding the film, it's easy to forget that the MCU movie will see Martin Freeman reprising his role as Everett Ross. Ross is the Deputy Task Force Commander for the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, and he was the hilarious fish-out-of-water character in Wakanda in Black Panther.
It'll be fun to see the character back in the franchise, who has been absent since the 2018 movie, but Freeman had some interesting comments about the making of the film. Freeman thought it felt "odd" filming the movie without Boseman. The actor added, "There are still other stories to tell within that world and other great characters. I think, and I hope that we've made a good film. I trust Ryan Coogler a lot."
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