Chadwick Boseman Talks About How ‘Black Panther’ Changed His Views

When Marvel’s Black Panther opened in theaters earlier this year, it became a cultural phenomenon. The movie broke records at the box office, inspired rave reviews, and sparked much-needed discussion all over the internet. But more than that, the movie’s mostly black cast and crew gave black moviegoers an opportunity to see themselves represented on screen in a role bigger than the usual stereotypical portrayals.

Lead actor, Chadwick Boseman, was also moved by this. While participating in a recent roundtable with The Hollywood Reporter, Boseman sat down with fellow actors Timothee Chalamet, Mahershala Ali, Richard E. Grant, Hugh Jackman, and Viggo Mortensen, sharing how he felt about the film and how it affected the way he views the world.

Boseman said he was slightly surprised that Hollywood was willing to put so much money behind the film considering its predominantly black cast and crew. He said that act alone made him more optimistic.

“It made me more idealistic about the world and about how things can go, and that that could happen in other places, other production companies, other studios, on other projects,” he said. “That’s aspirational for not just myself but for other people, and not just in film but in other arenas.”

The actor went on to credit his brother as a source of inspiration, and for showing him that it’s possible to be successful in the arts.

“[For me] it wasn’t even a possibility. There was nobody — my brother actually was into the arts: He did musical theater, he danced, but other than him nobody around me saw that as a viable career,” he said.

The movie has already been given the green light for a sequel, and director Ryan Coogler is also expected to helm the second project, having signed on to write and direct the follow-up film, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter.

On December 5, Entertainment Tonight caught up with actress Danai Gurira — who played Okoye in Black Panther — and tried to get some information about the upcoming sequel.

“I think it’s early days,” she said, before adding that she completely trusts Coogler with the story’s development. “He’s a very stunning collaborator as well, but he’s in his process until he is willing to open that up and that is what makes him such an amazing leader.”

While there have been no official announcements from Marvel and parent company Disney yet, sources close to the project said production will likely begin in late 2019 or early 2020.