The '12 Years a Slave' actress says the sudden passing of her co-star is 'still extremely raw' for her and she can't imagine returning to the movie set without him.
- April 30, 2021
AceShowbiz - Lupita Nyong'o is in a "pensive state" with regards to the "Black Panther" sequel.
The actress will play the role of Nakia in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film but "can't imagine" returning to set without Chadwick Boseman, who played the lead role in the original but passed away last year aged 43 after a private cancer battle.
Lupita said, "People will ask me, 'Are you excited to go back?' Excitement isn't the word. I feel like I'm in a very pensive state when it comes to Black Panther 2. His passing is still extremely raw for me."
"And I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like to step on set and not have him there."
The "Us" star did praise the influence of director Ryan Coogler and believes that the sequel will "honour" Chadwick's legacy.
Lupita told Yahoo Entertainment, "But at the same time we have a leader in Ryan, who feels very much like we do, who feels the loss in a very, very real way as well. And his idea, the way which he has reshaped the second movie is so respectful of the loss we've all experienced as a cast and as a world. So it feels spiritually and emotionally correct to do this."
"And hopefully, what I do look forward to, is getting back together and honouring what he started with us and holding his light through it. Because he left us a lot of light that we're still going to be bathing in. I know that for sure."
