The cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at D23 Expo. Image Source: Marvel
Letitia Wright felt the late actor Chadwick Boseman guiding her.
Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri in the movie is the sister of King T’Challa/Black Panther who was played by the late actor Chadwick Boseman, recently spoke to People magazine at the D23 Expo to share the experience of working on the sequel movie without Chadwick Boseman. Letitia was joined by Director Ryan Coogler, Angela Bassett who plays Queen Ramonda and Shuri and T'Challa's mother, Winston Duke who plays M'Baku, and Tenoch Huerta who will be seen as Namor in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forver'.
Letitia Wright said that she use to always have moments of doubt on set and she would always be like, "Oh man, she is not sure if she can do it," but suddenly, she could hear Chadwick Boseman saying to her as a sister that she is great, she is got this and he is very proud of her. Letitia Wright said that just kept her moving forward.
Letitia Wright, during the presentation, said that there are so many great new characters attached to this franchise and this story, and she is excited about how impactful this story will be. The actress said that she is excited for her brother, Chadwick Boseman, to look down on them and smile.
Winston Duke, who plays M’Baku in the movie, also echoed the same sentiment as Letitia Wright, stating that Chadwick Boseman was always a very quiet and powerful person and adding that sometimes one does not realize the extent of the number of space people like him would take up until they are not there anymore. Winston added that Chadwick was truly one of those rare people that led by example and just led by always showing up and putting his best foot forward every day.
Winston further shared that people do not realize that this movie was not as playful in between takes compared to the first one because there was no Chadwick Boseman around who would rap and laugh with everyone in between takes. Winston said that the dynamic for the sequel of Black Panther was not the same compared to what it was for the first movie, and it couldn't be because it’s not the same circumstance anymore, but mentioned that what the second part did have was a lot of love and a lot of inclusivity.
The actor mentioned that, according to him, Black Panther has always been a rickety tapestry and all the colors always make that tapestry grow. Winston Duke also mentioned that the cast and crew dearly missed Chadwick Boseman and at times it was hard not to see him, but all of them found some joy as they were surrounded by a lot of people that they liked and the space felt very safe to everyone. Everyone is sort of still grieving for the late actor who passed away after his private battle with colon cancer.
Winston concluded by saying that finding joy was sometimes very easy because they were with people who were full of joy, and it just so happened that they were all dealing with the tragedy and immense loss of a person they all dearly and deeply loved and knew as a person. The actor said that because they did not know Chadwick as a figure on the screen, far away and aspirational; they knew him as a friend, as someone's husband, someone's brother, someone's son, and a funny dude. That is what makes it hard for them to not see him around at times but they have found joy among each other who they all described as one big family, Winston said.
Angela Bassett also spoke during the presentation at the D23 Expo and wowed the crowd. She said that it was an amazing experience working with the team and they look forward to bringing the movie to everyone and added that this is the calm before the amazing storm. Angela also remembered Chadwick and said that he was with them every step of the way; he paved the way and they had to meet his level of excellence, which they could not wait for the audience to see.
Tenoch Huerta shared his experience portraying Namor and said that when a person goes to a new country and a new culture and is embraced...all this love is to make the best movie ever with a great story, with a profound respect for the culture.
Chadwick Boseman was recently honored with Disney Legend Status at the D23 Expo, which his brother Derrick Boseman collected on his behalf and mentioned that he feels honored on his behalf and he knows that Chadwick would be grateful for everything. He also mentioned that everyone loves him dearly, but his absence does cause a point of immense pain for his entire family.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in theaters on Nov. 11.
