“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”: What Was It Like Filming Without Chadwick Boseman? Lupita Nyong'o Tells Us

There have not been many roles played by Lupita Nyong’o (39) in almost 10 years of career in the big industry. It is true that her work stands out in Jordan Peele’s horror film “Us” and that she has lent her voice to “Star Wars”, but basically two roles have marked her career: that of Patsey in “12 years of slavery” (2013) and that of Nakia in “Black Panther” (2018).

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If we get binary, two diametrically opposed performances. Steve McQueen’s film, very intense and dramatic, allowed him win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Ryan Coogler’s film, on the other hand, earned him millions of dollars; Y put on the Marvel superheroine costumea temptation that fewer and fewer Hollywood stars are resisting.

Even so, she seems to be aware of the differences between one facet and another. If she had to choose only one role, what would it be? “Well, I wouldn’t have Nakia if it wasn’t for Patsey and Steve McQueen. So I would choose ’12 Years a Slave’ and that whole experience forever.”he answers us.

Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia in a scene from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” (Photo: Marvel Studios) / Marvel Studios

But beyond the subject, Nyong’o caters to Trade for the imminent premiere of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, the sequel that once again has her as one of its figures. There are several things to comment on the movie. For example, that reinforces her inclusive and diverse gesture, because in addition to claiming African-American strength and pride, now also includes Latino representatives (the ecatepense Tenoch Huerta plays the villain Namorfor more signs).

Furthermore, the matter directly concerns Nyong’o, who is half Kenyan and half Mexican. In fact, in the film she is seen speaking fluently in Spanish. Can we ever talk about an inclusion in Hollywood that is not seen as exceptional, but is normalized? “I think that’s the goal,” the actress responds. It would be good if these multicultural perspectives were normalized.”

The other striking thing about “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is, of course, the absence of Chadwick Boseman, the protagonist of the first installment, died of cancer in 2020 at the age of 43. Already the first comments about the film describe it as one of the darkest and most nostalgic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And it is like this: although he does not renounce the action and the visual pyrotechnics, in other sections it is rather silent, surprisingly funereal.

“At first the shoot was very challenging. –Nyong’o tells us when asked about how that spirit was also perceived in the recordings–. We were all dealing with the fact that Chadwick is gone. And the film is precisely about the loss of T’Challa [el personaje de Boseman]”.

However, the actress affirms that the process ended up being consoling: “It was a great relief because we had each other. We could remember Chadwick together, laugh at the thought, help each other honor his memory, keep him alive.. So I have to say that we had fun making the film, there was a purpose to going to work every day. Because we were extending his legacy with every day on set.”