Ryan Coogler Reveals Chadwick Boseman Was Too Ill to Read Original ‘Black Panther 2’ Script

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Ryan Coogler has discussed the first version of the script for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and how Chadwick Boseman contributed to it.

During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, director Ryan Coogler shared that he sent the script to Chadwick Boseman, but Boseman was unfortunately too ill to read it as he was fighting colon cancer. Coogler explained, “I finished the script and immediately reached out to him, but he was just too sick at that time.”

I was really fascinated to hear the director talk about some of the ideas they had early on. Apparently, the original script included this whole storyline called the ‘Ritual of 8.’ He explained that when a prince turned eight years old, he and his father would spend eight days out in the wilderness together. It sounded like a really powerful and important tradition within the story’s world.

The story involved a rule where, for eight days, the prince could ask the father anything, and the father was obligated to answer. During those eight days, Namor (played by Tenoch Huerta) launched an attack. The Namor in that version of the script was different, but he was incredibly dangerous. Because of a special ritual, Namor’s son had to stay by his side constantly, or they would break the ritual, which had never happened before. It was a complex situation, and Chadwick Boseman was going to deliver a fantastic performance, but unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

Coogler was very happy with that draft of the script and dedicated a lot of work to it, having gained a deeper understanding of Chadwick Boseman’s abilities as an actor. He explained, “I really loved that script. I invested so much into that version of the film because I felt like I was finally understanding Chadwick as a performer. I gave him a lot to do in the first Black Panther, but I realized I hadn’t even begun to explore his full potential.”

The director is also working on another Black Panther film. He responded to questions about replacing the character of T’Challa by saying he’s dedicated to handling the project with thoughtfulness and enthusiasm.

He explained that he was driven by a deep personal connection to the film. While he understood people might question why he was making another movie like it, he felt it was his responsibility as a director to demonstrate the film’s value and purpose.

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2025-12-30 11:15