Lupita Nyong’o admits she hasn’t watched Black Panther since co-star Chadwick Boseman died from cancer in 2020 at the age of 43. During a BFI London Film Festival Q&A about her career and childhood in Kenya, the actress detailed her grief over his passing while delivering an emotional tribute to the late actor.
The conversation featured clips from some of Nyong’o’s acclaimed projects, including director Ryan Coogler’s Marvel blockbuster in which she starred as Nakia opposite Boseman as King T’Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther. “I have to admit, I haven’t seen the film since Chadwick died, so I’m having a moment,” the Oscar winner told moderator Grace Barber-Plentie, according to a video People shared on Instagram. After becoming visibly emotional, The Wild Robot star collected herself and got real about her feelings. “The grief is just the love, with no place to put it,” she added through tears.
Barber-Plentie suggested moving on to the next clip, but Nyong’o wanted to stay on the subject. “I don’t run away from the tears or the grief, you know? You just live with it,” she continued, per a video The Hollywood Reporter posted on X. “The experience will never be separate from the love that was formed.”
Four years ago, Boseman died after a private four-year battle with colon cancer. His final film was Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) starring Viola Davis.
Chadwick Boseman’s Legacy Lives On Through the MCU
Before Black Panther, Boseman rose to fame with his performances as Jackie Robinson in the 2013 film 42 and James Brown in the 2014 biopic Get on Up. The South Carolina native made his first appearance as Black Panther in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Marvel’s Black Panther is the studio’s first-ever movie headlined by a Black actor. The superhero film broke box office records upon its theatrical release, surpassing $1 billion at the global box office and making history as the highest-grossing film with a predominantly Black cast.
During BFI, Nyong’o reflected on the initial apprehension of Marvel executives regarding the reception of a comic book movie starring Black actors. She noted that Black Panther’s success dispelled misconceptions that Black-led projects are not commercially viable, saying:
“I knew from the beginning, we’re onto something incredible. And if they let us do this thing, if we get away with it, it’s gonna be amazing.”
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Nyong’o reprised her role in the 2022 sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which earned 859,208,836 worldwide, per Box Office Mojo. The film pays tribute to Boseman with an emotional farewell. Coogler previously stated: “It was helpful that we were honoring someone who we came to know through the work.”
The Marvel Cinematic Universe will continue to expand on the franchise and the legacy Boseman leaves behind through a Black Panther animated spin-off series, Eyes of Wakanda, coming to Disney+. “I don’t know whether I’ll ever be done shedding my tears from losing my friend, but I’m also like, wow, we get to see him [in the film],” Nyong’o said during her reflection on Boseman at BFI. “We get to see him alive. And that’s so wonderful.”
Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are both streaming on Disney+. A release date, plot, and casting details for the animated TV series have not been announced.
A sequel that will continue to explore the world of Wakanda and all the characters introduced in the 2018 film.