Black Panther 2 is still in the works after the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman and director Ryan Coogler is sharing what that’s like.
While appearing on the Jemele Hill is Unbothered podcast, the 34-year-old opened up about directing the sequel without its leading man, Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther himself.
“One thing that I’ve learned in my short or long time on this Earth is that it’s very difficult to have perspective on something while you’re going through it,” he said on the podcast, which dropped earlier this week.
“This is one of the more profound things that I’ve gone through in my life; having to be a part of keeping this project going without this particular person who is like the glue who held it together.”
“I’m trying to find a work-life balance. But I’m not there yet, so this is without a question the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my professional life,” he said.
While moving on without the film’s star has been a challenge, Coogler added that the silver lining is that he got to spend time with Boseman working on the 2018 blockbuster.
“You spend your life hearing about people like him,” he explained. “For this individual, who is an ancestor now, I was there for it. It’s such an incredible privilege that fills you up as much as it knocks you out. So often as Black people, we have to pick up the pieces after loss.”
Boseman died of cancer at 43 last August. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that they would not recast the role of King T’Challa in the highly anticipated sequel; nor will they use a CGI version of Boseman.
