Lupita Nyong’o opens up about ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ says she’s ‘very proud’ of the film

Lupita Nyong’o can’t wait for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” to debut. The highly anticipated sequel to the 2018 blockbuster premiered footage over the weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, which was attended by the film’s biggest stars, including Nyong’o.

As theGrio previously reported, director Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is set to be one of the biggest films of the year. The original film, “Black Panther,” became a cultural phenomenon, breaking box office records around the globe and earning multiple Academy Award nominations, a first for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, and winning three Oscars.

Now with the sequel just months away, fans are getting ready to reunite with the futuristic African land of Wakanda and its beloved inhabitants. One big task for the film, however, is dealing with the loss of T’Challa (played famously by Chadwick Boseman, who tragically passed away from colon cancer in 2020).

At San Diego Comic-Con, Nyong’o, who plays Nakia in the franchise, opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about shooting the film without Boseman, making the project “against all odds” and more. “It’s been a doozy of a few years for everybody,” she told the outlet. “For us as a cast, having lost our king, Chadwick Boseman, that was a lot to process, and in many ways, we’re still processing it. When you lose someone, I don’t know when you stop missing them. And of course, we felt it so much, making this film without him.”

Not only did the crew behind the production have to carry on without Boseman, they also shot the film in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has severely affected many industries, movie-making among them.

“To make this film against all odds is a powerful statement unto itself, and I am very proud that we did it,” Nyong’o continued. “It was very therapeutic. It restored a sense of hope for me in making it, and I think we’ve expanded the world of Wakanda in ways that will blow people’s minds — not just Wakanda, but the ‘Black Panther’ world. It’s gonna blow people’s minds, and I just cannot wait until it’s not a secret anymore.”

The trailer, which premiered over the weekend, took off on social media. Fusing Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” with Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” the clip previews how the kingdom of Wakanda grieves the loss of T’Challa, while also hinting at who will take over the Black Panther suit. Check out the trailer below.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” hits theaters Nov. 11.

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