Black Panther and Us star Lupita Nyong’o has commended Black Panther 2 director Ryan Coogler’s new plans for the much-anticipated sequel, praising Coogler’s adjusted approach as highly reverent to the late Chadwick Boseman. “People will ask me, ‘Are you excited to go back?’ Excitement isn’t the word. I feel like I’m in a very pensive and meditative state when it comes to Black Panther 2,” Nyong’o told Yahoo Entertainment. “His passing is still extremely raw for me.” “But at the same time we have a leader in Ryan, who feels very much like we do, who feels the loss in a very, very real way as well.

And his idea, the way which he has reshaped the second movie is so respectful of the loss we’ve all experienced as a cast and as a world. So it feels spiritually and emotionally correct to do this. And hopefully, what I do look forward to, is getting back together and honoring what he started with us and holding his light through it. Because he left us a lot of light that we’re still going to be bathing in. I know that for sure.”

Chadwick Boseman passed away in August 2020 after a secret, four-year battle with colon cancer. Marvel has previously confirmed it will not recast Chadwick Boseman’s role as T'Challa, and has also dismissed the prospect of using a digital double. Black Panther 2 is scheduled to commence shooting in July, 2021. Marvel is also working with Coogler on a new Disney+ series based on the Kingdom of Wakanda.