Lupita Nyong’o says filming ‘Black Panther’ sequel was ‘therapeutic’

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o said she was proud they were able to successfully film the Black Panther sequel despite the challenges that they faced.

The Oscar winner spoke about the upcoming movie during Saturday’s Comic-Con event in San Diego. Chadwick Boseman was initially set to reprise his role in the Black Panther sequel. But production had to be altered following his unfortunate death in 2020. The sequel, which is titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, will honor Boseman. 

“It’s been a doozy of a few years for everybody,” Nyong’o, who portrays Nakia in the movies, said. “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.”

Besides Boseman’s passing, Nyong’o also said filming the movie in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging.

“To make this film against all odds is a powerful statement unto itself, and I am very proud that we did it,” she said. “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 for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was premiered at Saturday’s Comic-Con event. A brief scene in the trailer shows an unidentified person wearing the Black Panther suit. But Nyong’o kept mum about the character when the topic came up.

“Don’t you just love a good secret?” she said. 

The Ryan Coogler-directed movie will hit the theaters on November 11. The movie’s synopsis explains that the people of Wakanda “must fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death.”

It adds: “As [they] strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.”