‘He left this huge gaping hole’: Michaela Coel reveals what it was like filming ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ without the late Chadwick Boseman
Michaela Coel and Winston Duke have spoken candidly about what it was like filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever without late star Chadwick Boseman.
The couple will discuss the impact of Chadwick’s death on filming when they appear on The Graham Norton Show on BBC One on Friday.
Speaking to Graham, Winston, 35, said that while it was great to reunite with the cast, “Chadwick left this huge gaping hole that was really hard to fill and you really felt it.”
‘He left this huge gaping hole’: Winston Duke and Michaela Coel (pictured) revealed on The Graham Norton Show this week what it was like filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever without the late Chadwick Boseman
“It was really just melancholic to step back into the footsteps of the whole thing,” he said.
He went on to say he visited Chadwick’s grave and “asked for his blessing.”
“Visiting his grave to say an official goodbye and ask for his blessings was really great to deal with because it was such a surprise – none of us knew he was ill and we were just a few Weeks from filming when we heard of his death. ‘ he said.
Tragic: In August 2020, Black Panther star Chadwick died at the age of 43 after a private four-year battle with colon cancer
“The film is deeply about grief and how heavy and chaotic it is. There’s no fairly perfect way to overcome it, and it will change you forever.”
Michaela added, “For me, visiting the grave allowed me to not only see Chadwick from a Marvel perspective, but to understand that this was a friend of this cast and a real human loss.”
Earlier this week, Lupita Nyong’o revealed what it was like filming without Chadwick, saying “it was hollow”.
Speaking to Graham, Winston, 35, said that while it was great to reunite with the cast, “Chadwick left this huge gaping hole that was really difficult to fill and you really felt it.”
“It was hollow. It was very obvious that he was missing and we all felt it but we also had each other so we could lean into each other it was actually the only way to move forward I think was to lean in and be there for each other,” the 39-year-old actress said on Good Morning America.
“It was good to do this with a group of people who knew him, who had experienced his light and love, and it allowed us to have compassion and really rely on each other,” she added.
In August 2020, Black Panther star Chadwick died at the age of 43 after a private four-year battle with colon cancer.
“It is with immeasurable sadness that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016 and has been struggling with it for the past 4 years as it progressed to stage IV,” the family said in a statement at the time.
“A true fighter, Chadwick has endured through it all and brought you many of the films you love so much.”
The family revealed that several of his films, including Marshall, Da 5 Bloods and August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, were shot “during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy regimens.”
Star: Chadwick is depicted in Black Panther shortly before his death