Why Chadwick Boseman Wasn't Recast As Black Panther For Marvel Zombies

When we first met Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa back in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War," we couldn't have possibly known how poignant one of his most memorable lines would be: "In my culture, death is not the end." Boseman himself ended up passing away after a battle with cancer in 2020, robbing us of a talented star and a wonderful soul who had so much more to give to the world. But, just as he left behind a legacy for us to follow in real life, his superhero counterpart continues to make his presence felt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Right from its first trailer, "Marvel Zombies" immediately felt like one of the franchise's more fascinating efforts due to its gory premise alone. However, its upcoming portrayal of Boseman's Black Panther may end up as one of the more emotional moments in the entire show. As a spin-off to the now-concluded animated "What If...?" series, the new story is set in an alternate timeline where the majority of Marvel's heroes (and villains) have been transformed into the undead. The remaining survivors are left to fend for themselves, one of which will include T'Challa himself. But, as with the blockbuster sequel "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," the late Boseman's role has not been recast. In an interview with Screen Rant, "Marvel Zombies" showrunner Bryan Andrews described one scene involving T'Challa where he doesn't actually speak. Instead, Peter Parker (Hudson Thames from "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man") narrates the action and allows T'Challa to remain silent as a reflection of the actor's passing. As Andrews explained: 

"That's why we chose to have Peter narrate that moment. We didn't have Chadwick. If we had Chadwick, it would've been completely different choices [...] But being able to revisit his character in that way, the way it plays out, it was another way to be with him in some strange way, even though there were no words. You know what I mean? It's still Chadwick's Black Panther, and that's rad."

Say what you will about the overall direction of the MCU in the years since "Avengers: Endgame," but one thing's for certain — nobody has taken the passing of Chadwick Boseman and future portrayals of T'Challa lightly. The studio has resisted the idea of recasting the character after Boseman brought the hero to life so perfectly, which is a trend that "Marvel Zombies" continues. But, if Marvel's initial ideas for this animated corner of the universe had come to pass, there would've been an even more exciting exploration into Boseman's fan-favorite superhero. One intriguing detail that Bryan Andrews let slip has to do with those "different choices" he alluded to in the quote above. As it turns out, the "What If...?" storyline involving T'Challa as Star-Lord would've led to even more adventures to come focused solely on him and his Ravagers. According to Andrews:

"If we had Chadwick, he would've had his own Star-Lord T'Challa spin-off show long before we did the zombie thing."

Sadly, that never came to fruition, but the writing team found another way to pay homage to the actor through "Marvel Zombies." In fact, "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler even had some input on how the sequence ultimately unfolded. As described by executive/producer Brad Winderbaum, Coogler had plenty of ideas on how to improve things even more:

"And we actually showed an early animatic to Ryan Coogler to get his notes, and he had some great ideas in that sequence that were really additive."

Fans will get at least one more chance to appreciate Boseman's T'Challa when "Marvel Zombies" comes to Disney+ on September 24, 2025.