'Recast T'Challa' trends as fans implore Marvel to continue Chadwick Boseman's legacy

Chadwick Boseman's portrayal of superhero Black Panther/ T'Challa became a part of pop culture and was hailed for representing his community. The tragic death of Boseman in 2020 shocked the entire world, the actor passed away after a long battle with colon cancer. Before his death, Boseman was set to reprise his role in the sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but after his death, Marvel Studios decided not to recast T'Challa.

A fan named Emmanuel Noisette filed a petition to recast T’Challa earlier this year, which has already gathered more than 47,000 signatures. Fans also trended #SaveTchalla and #RecastTchalla as they urge Marvel to continue Boseman's legacy. 

Fans urge Marvel to recast T'challa post Chadwick Boseman's death

As per SlashFilm, MCU head Kevin Feige during a press conference said, "Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives professionally and personally. His portrayal of T'Challa the Black Panther is iconic and transcends any iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel's past. And it's for that reason that we will not recast the character. However, to honour the legacy that Chad helped us build through his portrayal of the king of Wakanda, we want to continue to explore the world and all the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film." 

Post this announcement fans have been urging the studios to recast another actor for the role of Black Panther. The late actor's bother, Derick Boseman told TMZ that he believes Chadwick would want his character, T’Challa, to live on in the MCU and he always believed that the character was bigger than him. Fans have now taken to the micro-blogging site Twitter to urge the studio to take back their decision. 

One user wrote, "It’s sad that Marvel would consider killing off T’Challa after Chadwick Boseman worked through cancer to bring him to the MCU. And it’s disrespectful to Chadwick’s family who confirmed that he would’ve wanted the role recast rather than cancelled. #RecastTChalla to #SaveTChalla."

Another user wrote, "T'Challa wasn't Chadwick Boseman's best role or best performance. It was simply his most visible & got him the recognition he already deserved. Recognition that other underappreciated black actors in Hollywood need. T'Challa living on means Chad's name lives on. #RecastTchalla." 

Image: Instagram/@chadwickboseman