Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to the 2018 movie Black Panther, will be a “very special” one to honor the late Chadwick Boseman.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is coming to theaters next year. The sequel was first announced in 2018, with Boseman set to reprise his role, T’Chala a.k.a. the titular superhero. However, the actor died from colon cancer in August 2020 and the plan for the movie has since changed.

Marvel Studios President and producer, Kevin Feige, shared that the upcoming film, which is directed by Ryan Coogler, is going to be a very special sequel dedicated to Boseman. A few months after his death, it was confirmed that they would not recast the late actor to honor the legacy that he helped them build.

Boseman has been reportedly battling colon cancer in private for four years. Speaking to a new interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Feige said that the actor’s passing hit them hard because they didn’t know his condition, and “there were all sorts of questions.”

"Our first thought, for many weeks afterward, had nothing to do with the movie. It had to do with him and his family and his wife and his legacy, and really, we were looking to Ryan Coogler to guidance as one, frankly, always should about almost everything in life," Feige added.

After several conversations, he revealed that they come up with the decision to continue the storyline and legacy of Wakanda. Feige noted that they wanted to make it in a “very meaningful, respectful, and yet still hopeful and fun and exciting way, which was difficult after losing Chad.”

Meanwhile, plot details of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever remain scarce at the moment. The sequel is currently in production and more updates might be released in the coming months. There were also rumors on who else is joining the new film.

For instance, previous reports suggest that Tenoch Huerta from Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico will be playing the role of Namor the Sub-Mariner. In the comics, the character is sometimes a foe and sometimes a friend of Wakanda.

Other confirmed cast members include Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Winston Duke as M'Baku, and Angela Bassett as Ramonda. Additional cast will be revealed as the filming progresses.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 8, 2022, in the United States.