Michaela Coel, who starred in I May Destroy You – one of TV’s most talked about shows of 2020, has joined the cast of the coming sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Variety magazine reported.
While very little is known about the film, including what the plot will be or Coel’s role in it, it will once again be written and directed by Ryan Coogler and is currently in production in Atlanta, US. The film is slated to release on July 8, 2022.
Wakanda Forever was originally supposed to release in May 2022 but got delayed because of the pandemic. A majority of the cast from the first film including Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and Angela Bassett are expected to return for the sequel.
In December 2020, Marvel Studios confirmed they would not recast Chadwick Boseman’s pioneering character T-Challa for the sequel after the actor died from colon cancer, which he was battling for four years and never publicly discussed.
"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," Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, said.
"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 of Wakanda," said Feige.
Black Panther grossed more than $1 billion worldwide and became the first film based on a comic book to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. It was widely heralded by both critics and audiences.
More recently, Coel’s I May Destroy You, which has also received similar praise, was announced for a slew of Emmy nominations, including individual credits for her acting, writing and directing.
The 12-episode series broadcast last summer on the BBC and HBO tells the story of Arabella, who tries to get her life back together after a sexual assault occurs while she is celebrating at a London bar with friends.
