Since Chadwick Boseman’s death in 2020, fans have been wondering how the MCU will handle it on the screen, especially in the narrative of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Marvel confirmed that they wouldn’t be recasting the character and the mantle of Black Panther would pass to someone else. It was also stated that T’Challa won’t be “sent away,” but instead the character would pass away in the MCU as well.
Black Panther 2 is now out in theatres—does the film finally address how T’Challa dies?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever does not reveal the exact cause of T’Challa’s death, but it is attributed to a natural illness. His death takes place off-screen in the MCU timeline of 2024.
The film itself starts off depicting a frenzied Shuri running around her lab, trying to formulate something. She then asks her AI Griot about the status of her brother’s heart rate, which is dangerously low.
In a few seconds we figure out that she is trying to synthetically recreate the heart-shaped herb which is known to treat any wound or illness. However, her formulaic structure only matches the real herb by 29%.
She goes on to 3D print it anyway, but T’Challa dies off screen before she can test it out on him.
As you may remember from the first film, Killmonger set fire to the garden of heart-shaped herbs—leaving nothing behind to help T’Challa, or a way to regrow/recreate it.
The film never specifies what illness T’Challa was suffering from, but hints that it was all natural and not something that resulted from an attack or physical wound. At one point, Shuri even expresses that her brother “suffered in silence for many years,” not telling anyone he was ill.
This very well replicates Boseman’s own actions, as he had chosen not to publicly disclose the news about his cancer.
Some fans theorize that drinking the heart-shaped herb and being stripped off of Bast’s powers multiple times may have been the cause of his declining health. However, I don’t think this is the case.
The film has been a celebration of Boseman’s life, the highs and lows. Having T’Challa share the same trajectory as the actor’s is yet another way to honor him. As I’ve said once before, while this may not be your typical superhero death, battling an illness is just as tough, and succumbing to it is just as heroic.
It is perhaps wise that the film did not go into much detail about how T’Challa died, but instead used this opportunity to bid farewell to him.
Rest in peace, T’Challa. Rest in peace, Chadwick Boseman. Both of you will sorely be missed.
About Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an upcoming American superhero film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It will serve as the sequel to Black Panther (2018) and will be the 30th film in the MCU. The film is being written and directed by Ryan Coogler.
Wakanda grieves the loss of their King T’Challa as the nation deals with opening up their technology to the world. But apart from the diplomatic agencies’ onslaught, Wakanda must face yet another danger as the king of Talcon, an underwater nation like DC’s Atlantis, Namor, has declared war on Wakanda.
Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett will star in the film, which will premiere on November 11, 2022.
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