In a recent interview with People, Creed star Michael B. Jordan addressed the possibility of returning as the fan-favorite villain Erik Killmonger in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming Black Panther sequel. The actor revealed that he cherished the time he had worked on the acclaimed MCU film, especially after the untimely death of his beloved friend and titular star Chadwick Boseman.
“That’s something that is very, very near and dear to my heart for a lot of obvious reasons,” Jordan said. “[I] had a really tough year losing somebody close to me. And what that means for that franchise is it was devastating.”
If given the opportunity, Jordan admitted that he is always open to return to the Black Panther universe, “But being in that world in a character that I loved playing, and working with [writer/director Ryan Coogler] and all that good stuff, it’s family. We created a family over there. So to be able to be in that world again is something that, I think, will always be on the table in some capacity.”
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The upcoming sequel has been recently pushed back to a new 2022 release date and is now set to hit the theaters on July 8, 2022. It was previously reported that Marvel Studios is reportedly targeting to start production this coming July. Kevin Feige has also officially confirmed that Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa will not be recast in Black Panther 2.
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther follows T’Challa (Boseman) who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king – and Black Panther – is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.
The film stars the late Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Oscar winners Lupita Nyong’o and Forest Whitaker, Danai Gurira, Oscar nominees Daniel Kaluuya and Angela Bassett. It also features Martin Freeman, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and Andy Serkis.
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Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the film was directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole. Kevin Feige and David J. Grant were producers; and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeffrey Chernov, Nate Moore, and Stan Lee served as executive producers. The film was produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and is currently available on Disney+.
Black Panther received seven nominations at the 91st Academy Awards including Best Picture, with wins for Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design. Black Panther is the first superhero film to receive a Best Picture nomination and the first MCU film to win an Academy Award. It also received three nominations at the 76th Golden Globe Awards, two wins at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three wins at the 24th Critics’ Choice Awards from 12 nominations, among others.
