16 Dec - Following fans' petition to recast T'Challa/Black Panther following the death of Chadwick Boseman, it was reported that even the late actor's brother has expressed support for a recast. Derrick Boseman reportedly told TMZ that "Black Panther" needs to have T'Challa, and if that means someone else would replace his late brother, then it needs to be done. Derrick also reportedly said that his brother would have wanted it to happen too, as Chadwick reportedly have thought that the character is bigger than just himself.
It is noted that previously, Marvel Vice President of Development Nate Moore stated that they have decided not to recast the character in future films. "When Chad passed, it was a real conversation we had with [director Ryan] Coogler about, 'What do we do?' and it was a fast conversation. It wasn't weeks, it was minutes of we had to figure out how to move that franchise on without that character. Because I think we all feel so much of T'Challa in the MCU on the screen... is tied to Chadwick's performance," he said. Despite that, fans of the superhero character recently signed a petition started by film critic Emmanuel Noisette to recast the role and not let it retire with Boseman's passing. Said Noisette, "If Marvel Studios removes T'Challa, it would be at the expense of the audiences (especially Black boys and men) who saw themselves in him. That also includes the millions of fans who were inspired by the character as well," wrote Noisette. It is noted that the upcoming Black Panther film, "Wakanda Forever" has been shot without having T'Challa as the lead character.