We haven’t seen the last of Chadwick Boseman as King T’Challa after all. Just a few months ago, the world lost one of its most beloved movie actors when Boseman passed away at the age of 43. It has since been announced that Marvel and Disney are moving forward with plans to develop Black Panther 2, and it was also confirmed that the role of T’Challa wouldn’t be recast.
Still, while Boseman won’t be featured in the Black Panther sequel, the late actor will soon be heard as the voice of T’Challa in Marvel’s What If…? series on Disney+. Speaking about the animated series with Emmy Magazine, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that Boseman had recorded dialogue for the character, giving Black Panther fans one last performance in the role, even if it’s in voice only. Better yet, he’ll be featured in several episodes as opposed to a brief one-off appearance.
“There are all sorts of stories we couldn’t explore through live action,” Feige says of the What If…? series. “[Chadwick] came in about four times and recorded numerous episodes. In hindsight, it’s very moving.”
Chadwick is perhaps best known for playing T’Challa in Black Panther, which was directed by Ryan Coogler and released in 2018. He’d reprise the role for the blockbuster movies Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and prior to his passing, Boseman was planning to return as T’Challa in Black Panther 2. It’s not yet clear if Shuri, M’Baku, or another character will be suiting up as the next Black Panther as Marvel remains very tight-lipped on the plot of the upcoming sequel.
Additionally, Boseman has been commended by critics for a variety of other very memorable performances. Some of his most famous roles include playing MLB legend Jackie Robinson in 42, soul singer James Brown in Get on Up, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, Thoth in Gods of Egypt, NYPD detective Andre Davis in 21 Bridges, and “Stormin’ Norm” Holloway in the Spike Lee drama Da 5 Bloods.
Boseman’s final live-action role is in director George C. Wolfe’s new drama Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which recently made its debut on Netflix. Co-starring alongside Viola Davis as the titular blues singer, the movie features Boseman as trumpeter Levee Green. Both actors have been praised for their roles in the movie with many of Boseman’s fans campaigning for a posthumous Oscar win for the actor. Although Boseman has consistently impressed critics with his acting, he has yet to be nominated for an acting award at the Oscars.
What If…? also brings in other major Marvel actors to lend their voices to the animated versions of their characters. The series will carry no storyline connections to the live-action MCU, instead delving into how some storylines may have played out differently in an alternate timeline. The first season will consist of ten episodes and is slated to begin streaming on Disney+ in mid-2021. An official premiere date has yet to be revealed. This news comes to us from Emmy Magazine.
