Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Winston Duke thinks that the role of T’Challa, played by the late, great Chadwick Boseman, will eventually be recast. Speaking with Esquire, Duke reasoned that the role of T’Challa is far too iconic on its own terms to be left out of the ever-growing world of Marvel movies forever.

The role of T’Challa is currently tied to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, who sadly passed away in August 2020 after a battle with cancer. The decision was made not to recast the role, and it is a decision that Winston Duke supports. “I think for this iteration of Black Panther, it’s very hard for me to really comment on something like that. Because, I’m of the mind that this is Chadwick’s role,” the actor said previously. “Chadwick created this and ‘Black Panther’ wouldn’t be the same without Chadwick Boseman, who stood for the things that he stood for. When you cast a person, you’re also casting their experiences, you’re casting their politics, you’re casting their all of these things. ‘Black Panther’ was heavily defined by the actor that did it, in my opinion.”

“There’s no way they’ll never remake Black Panther in the future. There’s no way that the saga and interpretation of T’Challa, King of Wakanda, will end. He is canon. So trust that it’ll come. But allow [Black Panther: Wakanda Forever] to be a human experience.”

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But while this is the case for now, Duke does not believe that it will always be, with the actor believing that, eventually, another actor will be asked to pick up the mantle and bring T’Challa back to screens.

Kevin Has Explained Why T’Challa Was Not Recast for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

     Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has previously explained why the role of T’Challa was not recast for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever following the untimely death of Chadwick Boseman. “It just felt like it was much too soon to recast,” Feige explained. “Stan Lee always said that Marvel represents the world outside your window. And we had talked about how, as extraordinary and fantastical as our characters and stories are, there’s a relatable and human element to everything we do. The world is still processing the loss of Chad. And Ryan poured that into the story.”

Thus, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will reflect the real-life tragedy as it picks up with Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fighting to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.

Directed by Ryan Coogler, who has co-written the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stars Letitia Wright as Shuri, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Florence Kasumba as Ayo, Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams aka Ironheart, Michaela Coel as Aneka, Tenoch Huerta as Namor, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, and Angela Bassett as Ramonda. Additionally, the rest of the supporting cast will include Isaach de Bankolé, Dorothy Steel, Danny Sapani, Mabel Cadena, Alex Livinalli, Kamaru Usman, and Richard Schiff.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in theaters now, and has been met with positive reviews from critics.