Last night, Marvel’s long-awaited sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiered and cast, crew, and fans from all over the world came together to walk the purple carpet and celebrate the film.
Chadwick Boseman, who unfortunately passed away in 2020 after suffering with colon cancer for four years, was noticeably absent. Although he wasn’t there in person, his spirit continued to live on through his castmates, who throughout the evening gave him numerous touching tributes:
Many attendees wore white, which is a color used at some funerals in Africa, including Ryan Coogler and his wife Zinzi Evans, Chadwick’s wife Taylor Simone Ledward, Lupita Nyong’o, and Tessa Thomspon.
Lupita Nyong’o stated that the primary goal of this sequel is to honor Chadwick Boseman in a red carpet interview with ABC 7. She stated: “Because T’Challa has passed away in this story, the fundamental dilemma at its core is how do you continue on after tragedy, after loss? Our work very much acknowledges the pain we were feeling. And we required that.”
