The tragic demise of Chadwick Boseman in August 2020 disrupted Ryan Coogler’s plan to explore his character’s growth as the king of Wakanda in Black Panther 2. Boseman led Black Panther’s cast to a grand cinematic accomplishment in 2018, raising the bar for portraying Black superheroes. Beyond championing the representation of Black talents in Hollywood, the film’s positive depiction of Africa and well-paced narrative ensured its cultural significance.
Among other coveted accolades, the first film won three Oscars out of seven nominations at the 91st Academy Awards. Black Panther was a critical and commercial juggernaut that grossed over $1.347 billion during its theatrical run, finishing behind Avengers: Infinity Wars as the second-highest-grossing film of 2018. Boseman’s passing created doubts about the sequel, but Coogler figured a way to make it work without the two lead stars from the first movie — Boseman’s T’Challa/ Black Panther and Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger. Meet the Black Panther 2 cast.
Letitia Wright As Shuri (Black Panther)
Chadwick Boseman’s archival footage as Black Panther in previous movies was used for his appearance in Wakanda Forever’s ending. His sister Shuri rose to defend the kingdom in the second offering, taking up the mantle of leadership as Black Panther. Guyanese actress Letitia Wright rose to global stardom as the smart princess of Wakanda in the 2018 film. She leads the Black Panther 2 cast to an impressive second outing, bagging multiple nominations for esteemed awards.
Lupita Nyong’o As Nakia
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Lupita Nyong’o returned to her role as Nakia, a former War Dog and undercover spy for the kingdom. The Kenyan-Mexican actress disclosed that she was initially frustrated with her character’s arc in Black Panther 2. This was because she didn’t get to express her feelings over the death of King T’Challa.
She eventually came to terms with her storyline upon realizing Nakia was to support Shuri and the Black Panther fandom mourning Boseman. “When I was reading the script and thinking about where she is, I realized that what she was once to T’Challa, she now has the opportunity to offer Shuri,” Nyong’o told Digital Spy.
Danai Gurira As Okoye
Zimbabwean-American actress Danai Gurira reprised her role as the general of Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s all-female bodyguards. Okoye’s arc in the second film explored new aspects of the character, depicting her vulnerability. Speaking to Gizmodo about the sequel, Gurira described Boseman as the anchor for the first film, adding that the Black Panther 2 cast had to rely on each other to honor his legacy. “We didn’t know what we were about to navigate, to step back into this world again without him,” she told the publication.
Winston Duke As M’Baku
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The intimidating warrior returned to reprise his role in Wakanda Forever. This time, he’s a rational and cooperative leader of the Jabari Tribe committed to Wakanda’s best interests. While the character departed from his antagonistic nature in the first film, he challenged for the throne while Shuri was away. The film’s co-writer Joe Robert Cole told Rolling Stone that Winston Duke was considered to play the new Black Panther.
“We would kick around the ideas and try to extrapolate where the story goes… M’Baku certainly was someone that got kicked around a little bit,” Cole divulged. With M’Baku as his breakthrough role, the Tobagonian actor has expanded his film resume with roles in Nine Days, Spenser Confidential, and The Fall Guy. He’s billed to star in Andrew Dosunmu’s upcoming drama, Marked Man, and Dan Casey’s action thriller, Heroine.
Angela Bassett As Ramonda
American actress Angela Bassett returned to her role as the Queen Mother of the kingdom. Her character embodied the film’s poignant themes of loss and grief. While dealing with the death of T’Challa, Ramonda grapples with the responsibility of protecting Wakanda as the queen regnant and eventually pays the ultimate price. Bassett’s performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won Golden Globe’s Best Supporting Actress — Motion Picture alongside an Oscar nomination for the same category.
Tenoch Huerta Mejia As Namor
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The Mexican actor joined the Black Panther 2 cast and gained cross-border recognition with his portrayal of Namor, the Talokan King. Although Jordan’s Killmonger appeared briefly in Wakanda Forever to interact with Shuri, Tenoch Huerta Mejia replaced him as the villain, winning the Image Award (NAACP) for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. The actor described playing Namor as a fantastic experience. “It feels so good and I’m so happy,” he told ABC7. “When you’re a kid, you dream to be a superhero, and it finally happened to me,” added the actor.
Dominique Thorne As Riri
Dominique Thorne was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the Black Panther 2 cast after a failed audition for Shuri. She came close to snagging the role which eventually went to Wright. “They thought that I was great,” the American actress told Teen Vogue, “but that I just didn’t have the experience that they knew the person playing this role would need.”
Years later, she bagged her role in Wakanda Forever. This was after gaining experience with If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah (2021). Dominique Thorne’s character triggered the strife between Wakanda and Talokan with a performance that received the Black Reel nomination for Outstanding Breakthrough Actress. She will reprise the role in Disney+’s upcoming series Ironheart. Check out the voice actors behind Megamind’s characters.
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