Coogler revealed he was already working on the Black Panther sequel.
“I spent the last year preparing, imagining and writing words for him to say, that we weren’t destined to see,” he described. “It leaves me broken knowing that I won’t be able to watch another close-up of him in the monitor again or walk up to him and ask for another take.”
The director explained that amid the coronavirus pandemic, Boseman “would check in on me and my loved ones, even as he dealt with the scourge of cancer.”
“In African cultures we often refer to loved ones that have passed on as ancestors. Sometimes you are genetically related. Sometimes you are not. I had the privilege of directing scenes of Chad’s character, T’Challa, communicating with the ancestors of Wakanda. We were in Atlanta, in an abandoned warehouse, with bluescreens, and massive movie lights, but Chad’s performance made it feel real,” Coogler expressed. “I think it was because from the time that I met him, the ancestors spoke through him. It’s no secret to me now how he was able to skillfully portray some of our most notable ones.”