Despite the increasing cries and demands from folks online to #RecastTchalla in the Black Panther franchise, Marvel has remained steadfast in its decision not to—at least for the time being and when it comes to the second iteration, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Now, one of the franchise’s stars has come out in support of that decision: Lupita Nyong’o.
Appearing on the cover of the latest edition of The Hollywood Reporter, released on Wednesday, Nyong’o explained:
“That is not the death of the Black Panther, that’s the whole point. It’s laying to rest [T’Challa] and allowing for real life to inform the story of the movies. I know that there are all sorts of reasons why people want him to be recast, but I don’t have the patience. I don’t have the presence of mind, or I don’t have the objectivity to argue with that. I don’t. I’m very biased.”
Added Nate Moore, VP of Production and Development at Marvel Studios of the forthcoming film, “The Black Panther has existed in Wakanda for centuries, so the notion of someone else picking up the mantle didn’t seem inorganic. But once that had to become a reality, then it was, ‘OK, what makes the most sense for the story? Who actually makes the most sense to take this thing on?’ All of the characters in the film have a different idea of who should don the mantle and why.”
Speaking of highly successful Blackity-black films, Nyong’o also shared in the interview that she passed on a role in the Viola Davis-led film, The Woman King released last month that centered around the Dahomey kingdom and the all-women army called the Agoji. The decision came after she spearheaded a documentary about them for a separate project titled, Warrior Women With Lupita Nyong’o. Though she didn’t get into specifics, the Us star said of her involvement in the film: “It was very amicable, the departure from it. But I felt it wasn’t the role for me to play.”