T'Challa: The Black Panther Appreciation 2021

[dkrook]

My fear is that they would essentially pull what happened to the OG white tiger. Kill him off despite having been around for 30~ years or so and having his sister take over. So then comics side pulls that if the sequel is successful. Just kills off a 59+ year old character and moves on with the claim that Wakanda is bigger than T'Challa or it's a mantle or whatever other nonsense they spew

Yeah I hear what you're saying. I make no bones about wishing the sequel makes an equally strong impact as the first movie, but in the opposite direction! Marvel needs to feel the pain enough to know that something is wrong with what Feige and Coogler decided to do. I don't care one bit about Shuri sharing or being given a role that's not hers. If the culture needs a black female hero/lead then go build her one. Don't take established one and fit her in it. Unfortunately based on the language, Marvel's move seems to be shading T'Challa out of the movie side. I don't know, even with Blade getting spotlight on the next big event how important is T'Challa to the comics?

[Ekie]

I’m praying that Marvel won’t go full stupid and do that. Especially since, as much as I hate Coates run, he’s been trying to have Shuri have her own unique identity instead of just simply being a T’Challa with boobs. And if Marvel does go full stupid, I’m gonna make sure to raise hell about it. Fans of characters such as the X-Men and Batman won’t let bullshit happen to their guys without a fight and neither should we.

I keep telling ppl to be more vocal of social media. We are underestimating the value of our voice and knowledge.

[BlackClaw]

Yeah I hear what you're saying. I make no bones about wishing the sequel makes an equally strong impact as the first movie, but in the opposite direction! Marvel needs to feel the pain enough to know that something is wrong with what Feige and Coogler decided to do. I don't care one bit about Shuri sharing or being given a role that's not hers. If the culture needs a black female hero/lead then go build her one. Don't take established one and fit her in it. Unfortunately based on the language, Marvel's move seems to be shading T'Challa out of the movie side. I don't know, even with Blade getting spotlight on the next big event how important is T'Challa to the comics?

No shade to Blade, but he will never have the impact that T’Challa has. And the culture already has a strong black female lead, two words: Ororo Munroe. Furthermore, I feel awful for saying this but maybe the sequel needs to not do as well as the first as finances are the only way that Disney will understand that kicking T’Challa to the side is not the move, along with making our voices heard on social media. You already see how they’re trying to course correct with Star Wars especially in light of people calling them out on Finn’s treatment, on top of John Boyega being brutally honest about his experience.

[MindofShadow]

I keep telling ppl to be more vocal of social media. We are underestimating the value of our voice and knowledge.

I mean, do you, but you already lost.

Every time someone brings up chadwick to Kevin, he doubles down that T'challa is done.

There has been zero support for recasting T'challa by anyone high at Marvel and by anyone that worked with T'chadwick in Black Panther. Not a single cast member has mentioned t'challa being important and needing to be recast. Coogler hasn't said a word.

only one that said anything was Chadwick's brother and no one brought up the story and no one gave a ****.

[Ezyo1000]

In all fairness, Hector was in character limbo for like 20 years before he was killed off & replaced. There were two other White Tigers in the interim, Kasper Cole and a creation of the High Evolutionary. It's not really the same situation.

Well that's somewhat relieving. But it still doesn't mean they wouldn't kill T'Challa off, atleast for a few years until the MCU reboots (I have a feeling it will reboot eventually, you can only go so obscure before they would want to tell more stories with the OG cast Again). But part of me is still holding hope that Disney is essentially testing the waters with BP 2 and that they are leaving the door open for T'Challa to return if the sequel doesn't do as well as they hope.

[Ezyo1000]

I mean, do you, but you already lost.

Every time someone brings up chadwick to Kevin, he doubles down that T'challa is done.

There has been zero support for recasting T'challa by anyone high at Marvel and by anyone that worked with T'chadwick in Black Panther. Not a single cast member has mentioned t'challa being important and needing to be recast. Coogler hasn't said a word.

only one that said anything was Chadwick's brother and no one brought up the story and no one gave a ****.

Which makes what his brother said all the more true unfortunately, that hollywood needed T'Challa gone and which Chad's unfortunate passing it was the convenient excuse they needed.

It really sucks hearing what Chads brother and Chad himself has said about having that representation for young Black boys and Black folks and general, then seeing what everyone else keeps saying about how essentially, there can only be one T'Challa.

At this point it would be interesting to see what Coogler and Chad's wife Taylor thoughts are on it

[BlackClaw]

Well that's somewhat relieving. But it still doesn't mean they wouldn't kill T'Challa off, atleast for a few years until the MCU reboots (I have a feeling it will reboot eventually, you can only go so obscure before they would want to tell more stories with the OG cast Again). But part of me is still holding hope that Disney is essentially testing the waters with BP 2 and that they are leaving the door open for T'Challa to return if the sequel doesn't do as well as they hope.

Which is why I say they just either set BP2 in the five years between infinity war and endgame or say that T’Challa is off in space (Intergalactic Empire). Killing him off would really be in poor taste.

[chief12d]

Well that's somewhat relieving. But it still doesn't mean they wouldn't kill T'Challa off, atleast for a few years until the MCU reboots (I have a feeling it will reboot eventually, you can only go so obscure before they would want to tell more stories with the OG cast Again). But part of me is still holding hope that Disney is essentially testing the waters with BP 2 and that they are leaving the door open for T'Challa to return if the sequel doesn't do as well as they hope.

Marvel won’t ever permanently get rid of T’Challa. Legacy matters for them and he’s their first major black hero. One who headlined a billion dollar film and has at various points in time been a solid B-level seller in the comics (the only BP to do so). They know there’s money to be made with him and that won’t change. He’ll always have a presence in the books the question is whether a decade out of the public consciousness will result in his comic prominence being reduced.

I’m inclined to think it will, the question is how much. If say Shuri becomes BP in the MCU I have a hard time thinking that the comics won’t follow meaning he’ll have to share the mantle and his book. I see that dampening his push alone, especially if her star really takes off and she becomes the face of the franchise for millions. Expect the usual suspects to make a lot of retroactive analysis of how Shuri was always a more interesting character than T’Challa and how she (or whoever takes the mantle) should be the main BP in all future depictions. And much like how Robin, Nighhtwing, and Batgirl fans bitch about their characters not getting the same treatment as Batman, expect criticism of future BP books that don’t give Shuri (or whoever) equal billing and narrative importance to T’Challa.

Similarly, I do think future solos and guest appearances will focus more on the world of Wakanda than T’Challa, so I see him being made into the equivalent of Cyclops with the X-Men. The de facto lead, but his supporting cast and other mantle holders often take precedence or are seen as being greater than him individually. Overall, T’Challa being out the MCU represents the death of the franchise as one solely lead by him and ushers in an era where the IP is used and perceived more like the X-Men or Green Lanterns.

[Ekie]

I mean, do you, but you already lost.

Every time someone brings up chadwick to Kevin, he doubles down that T'challa is done.

There has been zero support for recasting T'challa by anyone high at Marvel and by anyone that worked with T'chadwick in Black Panther. Not a single cast member has mentioned t'challa being important and needing to be recast. Coogler hasn't said a word.

only one that said anything was Chadwick's brother and no one brought up the story and no one gave a ****.

As one of the above posters stated pushback works sometimes not all the time of course. Star Wars is the perfect example of that. Kevin feige will have to stop giving cookie-cutter answers once he starts getting real questions you won't get those questions until enough of us make our voices heard for someone important to finally ask him the question of why he feels Tchalla isnt important to the franchise. That said I don't know if it's Coogler or Feigie that deserve the blame. I'm leaning towards Coogler as I'm sure everyone can guess. I wish Boseman brother did more interviews other than that one then maybe we'd get more traction but you are right that it is under the radar. However, just based off social media feedback the tide for recasting IS slowly turning. More and more ppl are calling the decision dumb and correcting lies about the franchise. Time is on our side as far as that goes since the further away we get from Boseman being taken from us the less emotional ppl will be.


If they got Star wars to correct their silly choices enough of us can atleast make them exolain their choice to discard their most successful solo character in the MCU.

Its bleak but never over.

[Frontier]

Marvel won’t ever permanently get rid of T’Challa. Legacy matters for them and he’s their first major black hero. One who headlined a billion dollar film and has at various points in time been a solid B-level seller in the comics (the only BP to do so). They know there’s money to be made with him and that won’t change. He’ll always have a presence in the books the question is whether a decade out of the public consciousness will result in his comic prominence being reduced.

I’m inclined to think it will, the question is how much. If say Shuri becomes BP in the MCU I have a hard time thinking that the comics won’t follow meaning he’ll have to share the mantle and his book. I see that dampening his push alone, especially if her star really takes off and she becomes the face of the franchise for millions. Expect the usual suspects to make a lot of retroactive analysis of how Shuri was always a more interesting character than T’Challa and how she (or whoever takes the mantle) should be the main BP in all future depictions. And much like how Robin, Nighhtwing, and Batgirl fans bitch about their characters not getting the same treatment as Batman, expect criticism of future BP books that don’t give Shuri (or whoever) equal billing and narrative importance to T’Challa.

Similarly, I do think future solos and guest appearances will focus more on the world of Wakanda than T’Challa, so I see him being made into the equivalent of Cyclops with the X-Men. The de facto lead, but his supporting cast and other mantle holders often take precedence or are seen as being greater than him individually. Overall, T’Challa being out the MCU represents the death of the franchise as one solely lead by him and ushers in an era where the IP is used and perceived more like the X-Men or Green Lanterns.

I think it's too soon to gauge exactly what the effect will be franchise-wide. We still don't know for sure the exact direction the movies are going to take.

[Ekie]

Marvel won’t ever permanently get rid of T’Challa. Legacy matters for them and he’s their first major black hero. One who headlined a billion dollar film and has at various points in time been a solid B-level seller in the comics (the only BP to do so). They know there’s money to be made with him and that won’t change. He’ll always have a presence in the books the question is whether a decade out of the public consciousness will result in his comic prominence being reduced.

I’m inclined to think it will, the question is how much. If say Shuri becomes BP in the MCU I have a hard time thinking that the comics won’t follow meaning he’ll have to share the mantle and his book. I see that dampening his push alone, especially if her star really takes off and she becomes the face of the franchise for millions. Expect the usual suspects to make a lot of retroactive analysis of how Shuri was always a more interesting character than T’Challa and how she (or whoever takes the mantle) should be the main BP in all future depictions. And much like how Robin, Nighhtwing, and Batgirl fans bitch about their characters not getting the same treatment as Batman, expect criticism of future BP books that don’t give Shuri (or whoever) equal billing and narrative importance to T’Challa.

Similarly, I do think future solos and guest appearances will focus more on the world of Wakanda than T’Challa, so I see him being made into the equivalent of Cyclops with the X-Men. The de facto lead, but his supporting cast and other mantle holders often take precedence or are seen as being greater than him individually. Overall, T’Challa being out the MCU represents the death of the franchise as one solely lead by him and ushers in an era where the IP is used and perceived more like the X-Men or Green Lanterns.

I agree but it wont be like Xmen. Definitely like green lantern since Coogler and co are gonna try to sell the idea that its not the characters that matter it the mask and the world. That limits the potential of the franchise longterm to a sideshow. No video games, no popular action figures, ect. Instead of becoming the next batman franchise using natural branch development for side characters its gonna be a black GOTG but without the access to old adventures for all these new tropes and characters this franchise will push.
I just hope for a new director for the third movie. The casual audience will love whatever BP2 turns into much like casual Starwars fans did the latest movies but hopefully that will still not be enough to warrent continuation of this new MCU fanfic. I believe I heard Kevin feige talk about introducing a brand new character.
Something tells me that wasn't his idea but like the white comics editors who greenlit everything Coats wanted im sure he doesnt care so long as ppl show up and he gets diversity points.

[DigiCom]

It's just amazing how Feige & Coogler have gone from BP fandom darlings to The Enemy™ without having filmed a single frame, just because they aren't handling Chadwick's untimely passing in the way people want them to. All based on rumors from the same sites "everybody knew" about before the first film.

As for online pushback affecting future projects... it doesn't happen. Seriously. Film studios only care about fan wallets, not fan opinions.

[Ekie]

I think it's too soon to gauge exactly what the effect will be franchise-wide. We still don't know for sure the exact direction the movies are going to take.

away from the titular character is the direction lol

[Ekie]

It's just amazing how Feige & Coogler have gone from BP fandom darlings to The Enemy™ without having filmed a single frame, just because they aren't handling Chadwick's untimely passing in the way people want them to. All based on rumors from the same sites "everybody knew" about before the first film.

As for online pushback affecting future projects... it doesn't happen. Seriously. Film studios only care about fan wallets, not fan opinions.

StarWars
Also, the only coogler hater here is me lol but thats besides the point. We aren't speculating based on fan websites. We are REACTING to Keven Feigies statements about the franchise 'not needing Tchalla to continue telling the story they planned to tell'. Would he say the same thing about Captain America 2 if Steve Rogers wasn't in it? I doubt it

[Ezyo1000]

It's just amazing how Feige & Coogler have gone from BP fandom darlings to The Enemy™ without having filmed a single frame, just because they aren't handling Chadwick's untimely passing in the way people want them to. All based on rumors from the same sites "everybody knew" about before the first film.

As for online pushback affecting future projects... it doesn't happen. Seriously. Film studios only care about fan wallets, not fan opinions.

I don't know about Coogler, and even with what Feige said about Wakanda always being the focus as BS, I am not convinced that he is the bad guy. O don't believe any of the rumors because they are dumb as hell and most don't even make sense. I DO think that Disney higher ups are assuming too much that Wakanda and not T'Challa, is the true draw to the franchise. It's like what someone said awhile back.

It's interesting how Wakanda is supposedly more important and bigger then the title Character, yet for Thor Asgard was a complete afterthought and able to be completely destroyed without a single care.

Also i don't appreciate the line Feige fed about focusing on Wakanda was always the goal. Because before he talked about how T'Challa was going to be a key figure going forward, so which is it? It can't be both. It just feels wrong for them to try and retrofit this as if regardless, Wakanda and the side characters were going to be the focus of the sequel. We all know that's BS. Casuals will call for side characters to get a push them won't show up to their solo movies when they are made. The sequel will be successful, but by Marvel or BP standards remains to be seen