Black Panther 2 will start filming next summer with Shuri taking on a bigger role

Marvel Studios will begin filming the Black Panther sequel next July, and it appears Letitia Wright’s Shuri will play a larger part in the upcoming film.

With the tragic passing of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman earlier this year, it’s hard to even imagine what the film’s sequel might look like when it arrives in 2022. Marvel has already vowed that it won’t replace the late actor in this iconic role, nor does the studio intend to use a digital double like The Rise of Skywalker did with Carrie Fisher.

When asked about the possibility of using technology to recreate the role, Victoria Alonso emphasized that they wouldn’t be handling the sequel this way:

"“No. There’s only one Chadwick, and he’s not with us. Our king, unfortunately, has died in real life, not just in fiction, and we are taking a little time to see how we return to history and what we do to honor this chapter of what has happened to us that was so unexpected, so painful, so terrible, really.”"

At this point, even Marvel seems uncertain about how to proceed with the role, but it appears the studio is forging ahead with production plans. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the sequel will begin filming in July 2021. This gives them about half a year to determine the best way to address Boseman’s absence and decide how handle T’Challa’s character moving forward.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Letitia Wright may also take on a “more prominent role,” though that’s yet to be confirmed by the actress herself or Marvel. Many fans have expressed the desire to see Shuri take charge of the franchise, rather than have T’Challa’s actor replaced, so such a decision would honor those wishes.

Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett are also expected to reprise their roles for the sequel. There have also been reports that Tenoch Huerta was cast as the upcoming film’s villain.

Whatever direction Marvel takes with Black Panther 2, there’s no denying it’s going to be an emotional installment for fans and for the studio overall. Hopefully, they’ll find a way to honor Boseman through this sequel — because right now, many of us can’t even picture the story continuing without him.

Black Panther 2 is currently slated for a 2022 release date.