Black Panther: Wakanda Forever it’s almost here. As highly anticipated as the film is, it has had its fair share of problems. From the death of lead Chadwick Boseman to Letitia Wright’s anti-vax scandal, it seems the film has had to deal with a lot.
Despite the problems that plague them Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios production ended. And the cast members have had nothing but good things to say. Wright recently praised new writer-director Ryan Coogler, calling him a collaborative lead on set.
Letitia Wright in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler
Ryan Coogler received praise and recognition when he directed the first one Black Panther film in 2018. The film was a landmark and watershed moment as it featured a predominantly black cast and crew. Given the success of the first film, it’s no surprise that Marvel brought him back for another.
Marvel confirmed that the sequel was in development in 2019, with Coogler negotiating to return as director. When Boseman died, Marvel decided not to recast his T’Challa character to pay tribute to the fallen actor. Many of the other main cast members reprise their roles, including Wright as T’Challa’s sister Shuri.
In the summer of 2022, the studio released a trailer for it Wakanda Forever, creating quite a stir. Fans are excited to see their favorite characters return and are especially curious about who the next Black Panther will be. During San Diego Comic-Con, the cast spoke with Entertainment Weekly about this and more.
Wright spoke highly of Coogler and his “integrity.” She said, “there aren’t many directors like Ryan out there. The soul and heart of the film – it starts with the writing. He has a sensitivity to our ideas and how we want to collaborate.” The star called working with Coogler “a dream come true,” calling it “phenomenal.”
Ryan Coogler said he made ‘Black Panther’ to ‘tell epic stories’
Ryan Coogler got the call to make Black Panther after finishing work in Rocky reboots CREED with Michael B. Jordan. He told Rolling Stone that he had been struggling with his cultural identity and wanted to understand what it meant to be African when he got the call.
Coogler had only worked on CREED AND Fruitvale Station when he was tapped for the project, but even then, he knew he “wanted to tell epic stories that felt big and fantastic.” Coogler told the outlet that before he signed on for the project, he was very open with the studio about the direction he wanted to go, and they were on board.
Coogler said that when he wrote his version of Wakanda, he thought back to the stories he heard as a child of people in Africa being kings and queens and where everyone was free and prosperous, and it felt like Wakanda.
Ryan Coogler is ‘revolutionary’ in film
In preparation, Coogler traveled to South Africa. He also collaborated with a diverse cast, including Lupita Nyong’o, who is from Kenya; Daniel Kaluuya, who has Ugandan roots; John Kani from South Africa; and Danai Gurira, an American whose parents are from Zimbabwe.
He also employed black actors from Germany, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Speaking about his time on set, Kaluuya said: “It’s a working environment I’ve never had before in this industry. Most of the crew were black, or much more so than usual.” He called working with Coogler “revolutionary.”
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