Ryan Coogler Discusses Continuing 'Black Panther 2' Without Chadwick Boseman
“…this is without a question the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my professional life.”
Black Panther 2 writer and director Ryan Coogler has opened up about making the franchise sequel without Chadwick Boseman, calling it “…the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my professional life.”
Speaking on the Jemele Hill Is Unbothered podcast, the filmmaker shared that the loss of Boseman has been personally and professionally difficult for him. “I’m still currently going through it,” Coogler said. “One thing that I’ve learned in my short or long time on this Earth is that it’s very difficult to have perspective on something while you’re going through it. This is one of the more profound things that I’ve gone through in my life, having to be a part of keeping this project going without this particular person who is like the glue who held it together.”
He continued, “That said, you have a professional life, you’ve got a personal life. Personal life, I’m going to say that when you work in something that you love, those things blend, they come together. I’m trying to find a work-life balance. But I’m not there yet, so this is without a question the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my professional life.”
Despite Boseman’s tragic death, Coogler reassures fans that he won’t let the Black Panther franchise falter. “This one hurts and stings, but it’s also incredibly motivating,” he added. “I’m incredibly sad to lose him but I’m also incredibly motivated that I got to spend time with him. You spend your life hearing about people like him. For this individual, who is an ancestor now, I was there for it. It’s such an incredible privilege that fills you up as much as it knocks you out. So often as Black people, we have to pick up the pieces after loss.”
Elsewhere in entertainment, Creed III has received a 2022 release date.
