BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER Director Ryan Coogler Explains Why T'Challa Didn't Fall In Battle

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER Director Ryan Coogler Explains Why T'Challa Didn't Fall In Battle

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler has explained why it was important to have T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) die from an illness and not be taken down in battle...

By MarkCassidy - Dec 28, 2022 03:12 PM EST

When Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away after a private cancer battle in 2020, fans wondered if and how Marvel Studios would incorporate his character, T'Challa's, death into the planned Black Panther sequel. There was a lot of speculation relating to how Wakanda's protector would be killed off, with many assuming that he'd go out in a blaze of glory in battle.

As it turns out, Wakanda Forever ended up addressing T'Challa's demise in the opening scene, as Shuri raced against time in a futile attempt to save her beloved brother from a mysterious illness.

It was a respectful, impactful way to take the fan-favorite hero off the board, but some did feel the character was deserving of a more heroic send-off.

While speaking to The New York Times, director Ryan Coogler explained why he felt it was so important for T'Challa's death to be something that was completely out of everyone's hands - especially his sister's.

"Just practically, everyone was going to be waiting to see how we dealt with it, so doing it right up front made sense. In terms of the characters, we needed to introduce a different version of Shuri. We’re showing the moment that she becomes a different person than the person we met. She’s the smartest person in the world, but she can’t save her brother. What does that do to you?"

Coogler also pointed out that, had T'Challa been killed in battle, Shuri would have had somewhere to "displace her anger."

"If somebody else would’ve taken T’Challa out, Shuri would’ve looked for that person. We wanted it to be a situation where the only place to go was internal."

Shuri's grief and inability to forgive herself for failing to save T'Challa is a major part of her arc in the movie, ultimately taking her down a pretty dark path before giving her the inner strength to spare Namor's life and forge an alliance with Talokan.

How do you guys feel T'Challa's death was handled? Would you have preferred if he'd fallen in battle? Drop us a comment down below.

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TheNewYorker
TheNewYorker - 12/28/2022, 3:35 PM
No explanation needed.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 12/28/2022, 3:54 PM
@TheNewYorker - Definitely not, I agree, we've had enough excuses as it is.
TheWinkler
TheWinkler - 12/28/2022, 3:37 PM
I think it was very tasteful they way they sent TChalla off. Opening on a some big battle with a body double filling in wouldn't have had the same feeling of helplessness that was presented in the opening, which is what I think they wanted to convey as Chadwick's death came as a surprise to basically everyone involved with WF and left the team with that same feeling.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 12/28/2022, 3:45 PM
Having him die in battle would have tough. It would have had to be a battle between his last appearance and this movie. Which means the threat they were fighting would have been minimal if it didn't deserve its own movie or show. And you can't have T'Challa go out fighting a minimal threat.

I suppose they could have him fight Atlanteans and Namor in the very beginning and just never showed T'challa's face. But that seems disrespectful to me.

I think they handled it the best way they could, shirt of recasting Boseman.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 12/28/2022, 3:55 PM
@CorndogBurglar - That's the thing it could've been implied...You wouldn't have to LITERALLY see him die.

This is all splainin' damage control.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 12/28/2022, 6:01 PM
@Blastaar - Thats kind of my point though. If whatever fight he was involved in wasn't big enough or important enough to make a movie or show about then is it really a worthy battle for Black Panther to die in?

Doesn't feel like it to me.
mastakilla39
mastakilla39 - 12/28/2022, 6:45 PM
@CorndogBurglar @Blastaar - Nah dying in battle would've been stupid at the start of BP 2 because it goes against everything Boseman and the character stood for. They only fight when necessary and for a good cause, him dying in battle means somebody "better" than him whooped his ass which is stupid. Dying of a mysterious diseases means the only thing that defeated him was something uncontrollable and natural. We don't ever have to see a Black Panther that's past his prime or fall from glory. We have him leave at his prime and when people need him the most, which also allows for new heroes to transition in better.

This film is a celebration of his life and passing of the torch, not a Rocky sequel or revenge thriller that a new character has to outgun the baddie in skills or muscles lol
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 12/28/2022, 7:10 PM
@mastakilla39 - I don't disagree. Thats part of my argument. How would you say he died in battle, but the battle was so unimportant that they didn't even make a movie or show of it? If BP gets taken down in a fight it would need to be important and something really serious.

And since Boseman obviously couldn't be in it, even showing it happen at the beginning of the movie would be disrespectful. Because we would likely just see someone else in the costume dying with his mask on, or using CGI bull crap.

newhire13
newhire13 - 12/28/2022, 9:53 PM
@Blastaar - lol no it’s an interview. Never understood why people claim “Damage control” or stuff like that when they’re clearly being asked a question during an interview.
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