Many people thought Winston Duke, who portrayed M’Baku in Black Panther, would return for the sequel. But there has never been an official statement or confirmation — until now. Duke confirmed M’Baku’s return in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in an interview with Collider. It was while promoting the independent thriller Nine Days, which opens in New York and Los Angeles next week. Black Panther 2 is now being filmed in Atlanta by writer-director Ryan Coogler. It’s an emotional shoot considering the terrible death of original Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman last August.
“It was very emotional to read the script. It was emotional to pack to go back to set. But we’re all a bit of a family now and we grieve together, and we’re making something really special,” said Duke.
The actor didn’t reveal anything about the narrative of the film or how the sequel would deal with T’Challa’s absence. But Coogler and Marvel’s Kevin Feige will undoubtedly treat it sensitively, as Boseman was well-liked throughout the world. Despite the film’s sad production, the cast and crew are continuing to work on the sequel in honor of Boseman’s memory. Especially considering how much the original film meant to millions of viewers across the world.
Feige has previously stated that the key cast members from the original film will return to Black Panther 2. But he did not identify any of them. Angela Bassett said she’d be back during an interview with Gunpowder Milkshake. Lupita Nyong’o and Martin Freeman confirmed their involvement a while ago. Danai Gurira will reprise her role as Okoye in both Wakanda Forever and the upcoming Black Panther spinoff series on Disney+. That leaves us to believe Feige was also alluding to Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya, and Florence Kasumba’s comeback.
“We’re going to do it in a way that would make Chad proud”
“It’s clearly very emotional without Chad,” Feige said before the “Black Widow” Global Fan Event in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. “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.”
So, will there be any new members in the sequel? Yes, but it’s the only one that is out in public thus far. Tenoch Huerta, who starred in Narcos: Mexico, will join the cast as Namor the Sub-Mariner. We anticipate him to cause some issues for Wakanda’s proud people, despite their highly superior armament.
Black Panther was the first superhero picture to ever get an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, grossing $1.3 billion globally. The film finished its theatrical run as the 12th highest-grossing picture of all time. It did it without the help of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man.
The film Black Panther 2 will likely release on July 8, 2022. It’s one of 26 forthcoming Marvel Studios films planned for theatrical distribution and streaming on Disney Plus. It includes a TV series based in Wakanda that Coogler and his Proximity Media inked with The Walt Disney Company in February. It is a part of a multi-year overall television contract.