Ryan Coogler opened up about the lasting impact Chadwick Boseman had on him while making ‘Black Panther.’ The filmmaker reflected on grief, pressure, and the quiet wisdom he took from the late star. Those memories now guide him in handling success, doubt, and the people around him.
‘Black Panther’ memories still guide Ryan Coogler
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Coogler shared how the stress he endured during production prevented him from fully experiencing the moment.
“Engaging with him on an artistic level, conversations that will forever just be between me and him—I was about 30 years old, stressed, completely out of my mind, sleep-deprived, convinced that the movie wasn’t going to work,” he said. “I robbed myself of truly enjoying that privilege.”He kept thinking about the many scenes Boseman nailed with ease“Even of sitting there and enjoying the countless Chadwick Boseman takes, because he didn’t have a bad take. So when he passed, I was like, “Oh my God, how much stuff have I not allowed myself to enjoy because I was in my own head—feeling like I was unworthy?”The actor died in 2020 after cancer. Marvel Studios chose not to recast T’Challa. Instead, Shuri stepped forward in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.’
Ryan Coogler reflects on grief and moving forward
Taking on the sequel hurt, Coogler admitted, but it also revealed his strength.“We had to work from the place of being brokenhearted, or else it wouldn’t have gotten done. Chad and I were getting closer, so it was like a wound to the heart. It was like somebody had taken the sun away, and we were all these planets floating.”He added, “I learned that I was more resilient than I give myself credit for.”Coogler now tries to stay present and accept praise“I’m going to take the lessons from Chad for the rest of my life, bro,” he said. “I have to see the good in things, see the value in things, and not let impostor syndrome or guilt or negativity rob me of moments with my cast, who I love—or with folks who want to say, ‘Hey, good job.’”‘Black Panther 3’ is Coogler’s next movie. That puts the threequel on track for its rumored early 2028 release in post-‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ (2027).
