Martin Freeman revealed what shooting Black Panther is like without the late Chadwick Boseman.
In an interview with Collider, Martin Freeman revealed what it's like to shoot Black Panther: Wakanda Forever without Chadwick Boseman. As you can imagine, it's rough... Not only was Chadwick Boseman the lead, but he was, by all accounts and purposes, also a great man.
It was strange, that side of it. On the one hand, you're making the film that you're there to make, and there are scores and scores of people on set, joined in this endeavor to make the film. But there's also no question that, at the heart of it, there's quite a gap now, and you felt it.
With full respect to Ryan Coogler and everybody else, who's sweating and bleeding to get this thing done properly, it was fun (...) But it was odd. Of course, it was odd with Chadwick [Boseman] not being there. There's no way around that. I think everyone would find it pretty strange and sad, but at the same time, life things don't just end. It's not like, ‘Well, that's happened, so we just all have to go off and never do it again.’ But it was odd. When he passed, I thought, ‘Okay, well maybe there just won't be another one.’ But there are still other stories to tell within that world and other great characters. I think, and I hope that we've made a good film. I trust Ryan Coogler a lot.
Side note: I love when an actor actually gives you a good quote - like a good statement, with actual depth and heart, that's not just corporate bla-bla. Because let's face it: We all thought about whether or not Black Panther would even continue. The decision to continue the franchise was more than just a 'money talks' issue, because the Black Panther universe actually means a lot to a lof of black people who are used to seeing themselves represented in poverty or crime only. What's more, this strong and forward-thinking representation of Africa is unprecedented, and affectst the way the world thinks about an entire continent, so... yeah Black Panther is more than 'just' a movie.
We will find out what Black Panther: Wakanda Forever feels like soon enough, when it releases on November 11, 2022. Interestingly, the movie is expected to have a tie-in with Ironheart, and, honestly, Black Panther and the new Thor kind of have the future of Marvel riding on them. At least that's my 2 Cents...