The cast of the Black Panther sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, just got exponentially cooler. Variety reports that Michaela Coel—the creator and star of Chewing Gum and the Emmy-nominated I May Destroy You—has joined the movie’s already-excellent ensemble cast. There’s not the tiniest whisper of a hint about who she will play.
As always, Marvel “declined to comment.” Production began on the sequel last month, with Ryan Coogler returning as director. Much of the first film’s cast is expected to return as well, including Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Florence Kasumba, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett. After the death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, Marvel decided not to recast the role of T’Challa. They’ve been typically secretive about the direction the story will go without him.
Coel is nominated for three Emmys for I May Destroy You, the critically acclaimed HBO Max series which she created, wrote, produced, directed, and starred in. She had a tiny role in The Last Jedi and was in two episodes of Black Mirror (pictured above), as well as starring in the British TV series The Aliens. She’s set to follow I May Destroy You with a new series, Jan 22nd, which is described as a “sexual consent drama.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is scheduled to premiere on July 8, 2022.
