Chadwick Boseman’s Marvel character T’Challa won’t be recast for the brand-new MCU show Marvel Zombies, and the producers just explained the reasons behind this major decision. Disney+ has released multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe series in recent years, including WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Agatha All Along, Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart.
Disney+ has also produced animated Marvel shows for the small screen, like What If…? and Eyes of Wakanda. The former, which tells alternate timeline stories in the MCU, has already released three seasons, including an episode called “What If…Zombies?!” that is now at the center of a new spinoff called Marvel Zombies, which will release four episodes on September 24.
In an interview with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan, showrunner Bryan Andrews and Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum opened up about why Marvel Zombies decided not to recast Boseman after his death, despite T’Challa appearing in the animated series. Andrews admitted that if Boseman were still alive, they would have made “completely different choices.”
However, under the current circumstances, the producers decided to have Peter Parker narrate a scene featuring T’Challa in a non-speaking role. Including T’Challa on Marvel Zombies was a way for Andrews and all the producers and writers to “be with him in some strange way.” After all, this is still Boseman’s version of Black Panther, regardless of his death.
Winterbaum added that during production on Marvel Zombies, the producers showed an early animatic to Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler to get his feedback, and the filmmaker had “some great ideas” that greatly improved T’Challa’s scene.
The showrunner also revealed that Boseman would have received his own “Star-Lord T’Challa spinoff show” that would have been made before Marvel Zombies, referencing the What If…? episode called “What If…T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?”
Ash Crossan: “There are some highly emotional moments, and I’ll tell you the one that got me, correct me if I’m wrong. T’Challa appears, and I believe he doesn’t speak. That felt very poignant to me, because I don’t think we’ve seen him in the MCU since Chadwick Boseman’s passing. Even in animation, it felt highly emotional for me to watch. What did that choice mean to you, and how did you come to the decision to not have someone come in and voice that role?”
Bryan Andrews: “Yeah, for all the reasons you laid out, that’s why we chose to have Peter [Parker] narrate that moment. We didn’t have Chadwick. If we had Chadwick, it would’ve been completely different choices. If we had Chadwick, he would’ve had his own Star-Lord T’Challa spinoff show long before we did the zombie thing. 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.”
Brad Winderbaum: “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.”
What Marvel Zombies Refusing To Recast Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa Means
Boseman tragically passed away in 2020 after receiving a 2016 colon cancer diagnosis. The entertainment industry and Marvel world were rocked by the shocking news, which changed the trajectory of T’Challa within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While there was speculation that Marvel Studios might recast the role, that ultimately didn’t happen. In the sequel, Wakanda Forever, the character of T’Challa died and Shuri became the new Black Panther.
Boseman voiced the character of T’Challa on What If…?, with the series premiering after his death.
Now T’Challa is back in the MCU via Marvel Zombies, though he won’t have a speaking role. Instead, the producers and writers have crafted a scene that acts as an homage to Boseman without actually recasting him.
If Marvel had recast the late actor for Zombies, there likely would have been a lot of criticism from fans, with the recasting being seen as disrespectful to Boseman.
Our Take On T’Challa’s Appearance On Marvel Zombies
When Marvel Zombies premieres on September 24, fans should watch out for T’Challa’s appearance to see how they honor the character and Boseman simultaneously. It should make for a beautiful scene not just for Marvel Zombies but also for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole.
With the introduction of the multiverse, there will likely come a day when major characters in the MCU will be rebooted; years from now, T’Challa could be played by a different actor. For now, though, the Black Panther character is still very much Boseman’s–and that’s what really matters to fans.