Marvel Studios and director Ryan Coogler are deep into production on their “Black Panther” sequel, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Yet, even with cameras rolling, we don’t really know much about new additions to the cast besides Tenoch Huerta from “Narcos: Mexico” and the possible aid of “Loki” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw. However, tonight, Variety reports that Marvel added British actress Michaela Coel to the cast, known for her Emmy-nominated mini-series, “I May Destroy You,” which she created, wrote, and co-directed.
Coel is also known for the E4 sitcom “Chewing Gum,” which she created and wrote, the earned her acclaim in the mid-2010s. She’s appeared in “Black Mirror, had a minor role in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” but mostly in the U.K., she is known as an actress, screenwriter, director, and producer creating her own works on stage and TV.
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Ryan Coogler co-wrote the ‘Wakanda Forever’ sequel with Joe Robert Cole, but there is still a huge mystery on the entire plot and how they’ll deal with the absence of the film’s former lead Chadwick Boseman who passed away in August 2020. Marvel Studios has been adamant they will not be recasting the T’Challa role. The original film earned over a billion dollars at the global box office, making the superhero movie a huge success for Disney.
We can only speculate about her MCU role at this point. Still, someone like Princess Zanda (Regent of the fictional nation of Narobia) is possible, but fans are already hoping for The X-Men’s Storm, who was a love interest of T’Challa’s in the comics at one point; who knows.
The returning cast is expected to include Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Letitia Wright, Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya, and Martin Freeman. Coogler is behind a “Wakanda” series for Disney+ that has yet to land an official title from Marvel starring Danai Gurira.
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Disney has given “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” the release date of July 8, 2022.