A new report claims that Chadwick Boseman’s brother, Derrick Boseman, wants Marvel Studios to recast T’Challa, the character played by Chadwick in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Not only does Derrick want T’Challa recast, but he believes it would be what Chadiwck wants as well.
This new report comes from TMZ, who claim to have spoken with Derrick.
Their report claims, “CB’s bro, Derrick Boseman, tells TMZ … yes, he does think T’Challa needs to live on in the ‘Black Panther’ franchise, and if that means tapping another actor to portray the king of Wakanda — the role Chadwick made famous and legendary, then so be it.”
As for why, the report states, “DB tells us with Marvel killing off that character so quickly in the wake of Chadwick’s death, they’re kinda depriving black kids of a role model.”
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The report also details, “Derrick tells us he believes his sibling would’ve wanted with this too — explaining Chadwick thought T’Challa was bigger than just himself as one guy.”
However, TMZ does make it clear that Chadwick didn’t reveal his wishes for the character before he passed away due to colon cancer.
Marvel Studios has made it clear on multiple occasions that they have no intention of recasting the role of T’Challa.
During Disney’s Investor Day 2020 presentation, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated, “I wanted to acknowledge the devastating loss of a dear friend and member of the Marvel Studios family. Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual, who affected all of our lives professionally and personally.”
“His portrayal of T’Challa, the Black Panther, is iconic and transcends any iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel’s past. And it’s for that reason we will not recast the character,” he added.
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More recently, in November of this year Marvel producer Nate Moore told The Ringer, “I’m not hedging my bets, I’m being quite honest. You will not see T’Challa in the MCU 616 universe. We couldn’t do it.”
“When Chad passed, it was a real conversation we had with [director Ryan] Coogler about what do we do, and it was a fast conversation. It wasn’t weeks. It was minutes of we have to figure out how to move this franchise on without that character,” he explained.
The producer continued, “I think we all feel so much of T’Challa in the MCU on the screen – not in comics – is tied to Chadwick’s performance, is what he brought to that role both on and off-screen, I would argue.”
“So as hard as it is narratively to figure out what to do because it’s a big hole, at no point did we consider recasting him,” he stated.
Nevertheless, fans have created a petition asking Marvel Studios to “recast T’Challa to honor Chadwick Boseman in the Black Panther franchise.”
The petition states, “If Marvel Studios removes T’Challa, it would be at the expense of the audiences (especially Black boys and men) who saw themselves in him. That also includes the millions of fans who were inspired by the character as well.”
“By not recasting, it could stifle the opportunity for one of the most popular, leading Black superheroes to add on to their legacy. The #1 way to kill a legend, is to stop telling their story,” it adds.
The petition has been signed by 44,600 times.
Do you think T’Challa should be recast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
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