Chadwick Boseman’s Widow Tearfully Reveals He Was Hurt To Know He’ll Never Be Black Panther Again

Chadwick Boseman’s legacy has continued to inspire audiences since his passing. The latest Black Panther film made have been made without him, but his presence was evident in the performances from his cast, who channeled their real-world grief into their roles. His widow Simone Boseman recently chatted with the Black Panther podcast about how much he loved the character and was hurt when he realized he would probably not get to play him again.

Simone Ledward Boseman discusses her late husband, Chadwick Boseman, and his dedication to bringing Black Panther to life in the final episode of @ProximityMedia’s ‘Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast.’ 🎧 Listen now: https://t.co/y2fYZmLDTD pic.twitter.com/zo7jwYPTHu

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) February 16, 2023

Chadwick Boseman withheld his cancer diagnosis from the world, but Simone and his immediate family knew and worked hard to make his final months peaceful. Luckily for them, the world was dealing with a global pandemic, so they did not have to work super hard to isolate him since everyone was stuck in the house. According to Simone, in his final days, Chadwick expressed how much he would miss playing King T’Challa.

Simone said her husband was a “vessel for the spirit” due to him playing so many real-life historical characters like James Brown and Jackie Robinson. As a result, he brought a lot of truth to T’Challa since all he had as a reference point was his own life. She believed in that way he had prepared his entire life for the role. “That character is his character. Working in the African book store. Learning mythology. Learning martial arts and doing his own stunts.” She said all of the pieces fell in place for him for “that moment.”

“He loved his work, and he had put so much, he had sowed so much into this that it was just, it was hard for him to know that he didn’t get to do that anymore. He didn’t get to keep sowing and see what else it would become.” Fans of Black Panther were divided on the sequel film when it was decided that Boseman would not be recast. The interview sheds insight on why that was such a personal decision for the film’s producers and why they worked so hard to honor him instead of rushing to replace him.

Simone said she was not super invested in how the role would proceed but was more focused on her husband’s transition. Simone knew she could trust Ryan Coogler with protecting Chadwick’s legacy in Black Panther 2.