Ryan Coogler, director of the 2018 Oscar-winning hit “Black Panther,” has disclosed his initial vision for the “Black Panther 2” script during a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. Discussing the impact of Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death on the project, Coogler revealed that the original story centered on T’Challa and his son, shaping a very different sequel from what became “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” with focus keyword Ryan Coogler Black Panther 2.
Ryan Coogler Describes Original Sequel Plot Centered on T’Challa and His Son
During the press circuit for his latest film, “Sinners,” Coogler elaborated on how the loss of Chadwick Boseman in August 2020 led to a complete overhaul of the planned Marvel movie. Initially, the sequel was set to follow an emotional journey between T’Challa, portrayed by Boseman, and the character’s eight-year-old son, while Tenoch Huerta’s Namor remained positioned as the central antagonist.
Coogler offered details about a significant element in his script titled the “Ritual of 8.” According to him, the narrative planned for the prince, at eight years old, to accompany his father for eight days in the wilderness. During this period, the ritual stipulated that the young prince could pose any question to his father, with answers required for each one.
“The big thing with the script was a thing called the Ritual of 8 where a prince is 8 years old, he must spend 8 days in the bush with his father,”
Ryan Coogler, Director
This period of bonding and learning would be disrupted when Namor launched a dangerous attack, complicating the already challenging tradition. The script intended for T’Challa and his son to stay side by side throughout the ordeal, as breaking the ritual’s code would have grave consequences for the characters.
“The rule is for those 8 days the prince can ask the father any question and the father must answer. In the course of those 8 days, Namor launches an attack… he had to deal with someone who’s insanely dangerous but because of this ritual, his son had to be joined at his hip the whole time or else they’d violate this ritual that had never been broken. It was insane. Chadwick was going to kill it, but life goes as it goes.”
Ryan Coogler, Director
Chadwick Boseman Was Unable to Read the Complete Script
According to Coogler, he had completed a full draft of this original “Black Panther 2” story and reached out to Boseman to share it. Tragically, the late actor was too ill to read the script at that time, depriving the team and Marvel fans of Boseman’s feedback and collaboration on that version.
“He was at a place where it wasn’t going to happen,”
Ryan Coogler, Director
Reflecting on their friendship and creative partnership, Coogler shared how meaningful Boseman was to him, only recognizing the depth of their mutual respect after news of Boseman’s passing. Coogler expressed the profound emotional effect the loss had on him and the effort he put into the 180-page screenplay draft for his now-abandoned take.
“Our relationship was very interesting. He meant a lot of me but I found out after his passing from his family and his friends about how much I meant to him. That fucked me up pretty good. I wonder if he knew how much he meant to me. I did wonder… But I loved that script. I put so much into that version of the movie because I felt like I had gotten to know Chadwick as a performer. I threw a lot at him in the first ‘Panther’ but I realized I was just scratching the surface. It was a 180-page draft.”
Ryan Coogler, Director
Unused Character Aspirations and Sony Collaboration Limitations
As part of his process for the first “Black Panther,” Coogler also sought permission to use Kraven the Hunter, a Marvel antagonist with a significant presence in “Spider-Man” comics and animated adaptations. His aim was to incorporate elements from Christopher Priest’s acclaimed comic run, which begins with a kitchen confrontation involving Ross, the Black Panther, and Kraven.
“[I] wanted to base it on the Christopher Priest run of ‘Panther,’ and his run starts with Panther and Kraven in the kitchen,”
Ryan Coogler, Director
“That’s the first thing. It’s Ross, Panther and Kraven fighting in the kitchen.”
Ryan Coogler, Director
The request ultimately fell through due to character rights being held by Sony instead of Disney, despite Coogler’s personal fandom of “Spider-Man: The Animated Series” and the Kraven character.
“I’m a big Spider-Man fan, especially ‘Spider-Man: The Animated Series.’ Kraven is in that. He’s also great in the books,”
Ryan Coogler, Director
“I was like, ‘Yo, can I have Kraven in the movie?’ They were like, ‘We don’t think so, but let us check.’ So, they hit Sony, and Sony was like, ‘Absolutely not.’ They came back to me like, ‘Yo, we can’t do it.’ So, I was like, ‘Okay.’”
Ryan Coogler, Director
Sony later produced its own “Kraven the Hunter” film, casting Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the title role under director J.C. Chandor. Despite expectations, the movie saw disappointing ticket sales, grossing $62 million worldwide as of December 2024.
Current and Future Projects for Ryan Coogler
After the critical and commercial achievements of “Sinners,” Coogler is in active development on a third “Black Panther” installment at Marvel Studios. With the legacy of Chadwick Boseman continuing to influence the series’ direction, Coogler’s earlier ideas about father-son relationships, iconic comic runs, and previously excluded villains like Kraven still resonate among fans and creators alike. The evolution of the “Black Panther” storylines highlights both the challenges faced by filmmakers following tragedy and the enduring connection between director, cast, and audience in the Marvel universe.
