Black Panther 2 — Chadwick Boseman appearance shot down by producer

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Do not expect a CGI cameo

Black Panther with Chadwick Boseman
(Image credit: Marvel)

A Black Panther 2 movie has been a given since the first film came out in 2018 and earned boffo box office dollars, critical and audience raves and numerous awards (including a Best Picture Oscar nomination). But the tragic death of leading man Chadwick Boseman last year threw a wrench into the plans for the sequel. 

Rumors circulated online that Black Panther 2 might use a CGI likeness of Boseman or that the actor had filmed enough before his death to make a cameo. But producer Nate Moore recently debunked that as scuttlebutt. "That is not going to happen," he said.

Marvel movies and shows tend to generate a lot of theories and speculation (see: the entire run of WandaVision), but Black Panther 2 has been subject to even more than usual after Boseman's passing. Director Ryan Coogler and company took time to grieve and are now moving forward with Black Panther 2. "I know Chad wouldn't have wanted us to stop," Coogler recently told The Hollywood Reporter.

However, that doesn't mean Boseman already filmed something for the movie that could be turned into an appearance. Moore, who is currently prepping Black Panther 2 in Atlanta, definitively said "no" to a cameo by the late star.

"Chad's passing is a whole life thing, and I loved the guy as much as the character. I think we have to be very careful and thoughtful about when he appears, because he meant so much to a lot of people as much as he meant to us," he told Vanity Fair. 

"But yeah, we wouldn't use that as a ‘Come next week; maybe you’ll see Panther!’ We wouldn't, and he's not.” 

Black Panther 2 filming is slated to start in July. Marvel has scheduled the movie to open in theaters July 8, 2022.

Kelly Woo
Kelly Woo
Managing editor, streaming

Kelly is the managing editor of streaming for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.