Millions of fans all over the world will miss Chadwick Boseman in the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Angela Bassett revealed before production began, everyone involved in the movie gathered to pay tribute to the late star, who died of colon cancer at 43 in August 2020. The actress, 64, spoke about how it felt to get to share memories of the star during an interview on The View on Thursday, November 3.
.@ImAngelaBassett discusses the impact @theblackpanther franchise has on Black youth, shares how the cast honored the late #ChadwickBoseman and tells #TheView how the movie celebrates fierce female warriors! #BlackPanther #WakandaForever https://t.co/cVclFZyKV0 pic.twitter.com/HgkcQIqJew
— The View (@TheView) November 3, 2022
Angela said that returning to the Marvel movie without Chadwick was “surreal,” but getting to begin the production with a memorial for him felt appropriate. “Before we even began, Ryan [Coogler, the director] and the filmmakers, the producers, they chartered a plane and they took us to his final resting place, and we stood outside in the sun there together,” she said. “We were able to just share our memories.”
She revealed that it was about 50 people, who were present during the first week of production who attended. She said everyone from the crew and cast spoke about how Chadwick had made an impact on their lives. “It was great to hear, to feel the sense, the impact he had on each of us, with his family. His brother was there with us and his nephew. That was a wonderful, grounding moment for us as we were about to do this with him in spirit,” she said.
Angela also paid tribute to Chadwick’s widow Simone and “her strength” following his passing and before the memorial. She said that when they first started filming, it was incredibly emotional to be on-set without Chadwick. “You know there’s going to be the first day, and you know we’re going to do this without him. So you had that build-up, and you’re actually there, and there’s the throne in the throne room, and we’re here, all gathered, and the last time we were here, we were here with him,” she said. “It’s palpable, the emotion, and tears fall.”
After the Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom star died in 2020, Angela took to Instagram to share a moving memorial for him. “This young man’s dedication was awe-inspiring, his smile contagious, his talent unreal. So I pay tribute to a beautiful spirit, a consummate artist, a soulful brother…’thou aren’t not dead but flown afar…’ All you possessed, Chadwick, you freely gave. Rest now, sweet prince,” she wrote.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be shown in theaters on November 11. Ahead of the film’s release, Rihanna released a single from the film’s soundtrack, titled “Lift Me Up,” which paid tribute to the late star.