On August 28, 2020, there was confirmed news of the death of Chadwick Boseman. He passed away at the age of 43 due to his long fight with colon cancer. He was diagnosed with the condition four years ago and continued to manage the disease while fulfilling these duties as an actor. He kept his condition away from the public. To comic fans, Boseman is best known for portraying T'Challa (Black Panther) in the blockbuster Black Panther movie in 2018. Black Panther made his first appearance in Fantastic Four #52. The question is, who is going to replace the actor in the planned sequel, Black Panther 2?

 

Shuri:

Shuri is the sister of T'Challa and is a child genius. She is known for weaponizing and unleashing the potential of the substance, Vibranium. Vibranium is a metal found in the country of Wakanda that has the ability to absorb, store, and release large amounts of kinetic energy. The Black Panther suit is made of this substance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this year, I pointed out several reasons and keys for this character and why she could be succeeding Boseman as Black Panther.  Please see my article on her keys and why she could take the mantle as the new Black Panther. With the surprising death of Chadwick Boseman, the possibility of her replacing her brother could come to fruition. Shuri made her first comic appearance in Black Panther #2. Marvel could go the route in the comics as she does wear the costume of Black Panther during a time when T'challa is comatose. Her first appearance as Black Panther is in Black Panther #5.

 

 

 

 

 

Erik Killmonger/N'Jadaka:

Erik Killmonger was played by Michael B. Jordan in the previous Black Panther movie. Killmonger was the main villain in the first Black Panther movie. The end of the movie resulted in the death of his character.  He received good remarks on his role and there are possible rumors that he could make another appearance in the next movie. An article from IndieWire.com details a possible resurrection of the character. With the death of Boseman, the opportunity for Killmonger to rise could happen. I mean, he had the title of Black Panther once already. So, why not again? Killmonger is a recurring character in the Black Panther comic series and he provides the stability needed to carry the mantle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Actor:

Another possibility of who could be the next Black Panther actor is to simply replace Chadwick Boseman. Marvel could proceed with the planned sequel with another actor portraying the character. I am not sure they would go this route, but it is a possibility since it seems they were not aware of Boseman's ailing health conditions. It would be weird to see another individual don the costume of Black Panther, but it is a character movie franchise almost guaranteed to make money for Marvel. The financial aspect of replacing him is there and keeping all of his supporting characters such as Shuri and Okoye in their respective places for the franchise would be the ideal way to go.

No sequel:

The last option I believe that could occur is to have no replacement. This appears to be the most unlikely scenario, but it is possible. In the light of Boseman's death, this could be a way of honoring the actor and his contribution to this superhero. In addition, with the influx of characters Marvel can use from Fox, it is possible they could move on from Black Panther and introduce other heroes that have not been used yet.