Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's screenplay was already written when Chadwick Boseman passed away, and when Marvel Studios chose to move forward with the sequel without recasting T'Challa, big changes were made. Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole teamed up to take on that Herculean task, though now we've seen the movie, it's fair to say they nailed it.
Talking to Rolling Stone, Cole opened up on the process of finding a new Black Panther for the MCU and started by confirming Winston Duke's M'Baku was considered at one point.
"We would kick around the ideas, and try to extrapolate where the story goes and what’s the most impactful choice - what’s the best journey? And where do you go after the film in terms of those characters. M’Baku certainly was someone that got kicked around a little bit."
"[In] the comics, Shuri is Black Panther and there’s a natural organicness, I guess is the best way to say it, to her becoming Panther," he continues. "But you kick the tires on all sorts of ideas. And you just want to make the best decision and do what’s best for the story."
When the site suggested Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia would have also been an exciting possibility, Cole responded, "That got kicked around! Her name got kicked around for sure."
Either character would have been a worthy successor to Boseman's T'Challa, though it's easy to see why Letitia Wright's Shuri emerged as the frontrunner. As well as lining up with the source material, the emotional journey this sequel takes her on culminating with the hero becoming Black Panther is arguably the most satisfying payoff.
As for whether Marvel Studios ever considering a CG version of Chadwick in the Black Panther follow-up, Cole added, "I don’t remember any conversations about that. No. I don’t think we were ever...I don’t think anyone felt that would be appropriate."
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters.