The world of Wakanda officially has a new addition.
“I May Destroy You” star Michaela Coel has been cast in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Who Coel will play has not been revealed, but Variety cited insiders who said the star has been at Atlanta’s former Pinewood Studios — now called Trilith Studios — with director Ryan Coogler. Production began at the Fayette County studios in June. Variety said Marvel Studios declined to comment on casting.
Coel’s casting will add to her big-screen credits, which already include “Been So Long” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
The British star gained major traction after her sitcom “Chewing Gum,” which was inspired by her play “Chewing Gum Dreams,” debuted in 2015. Since then, Coel has won critical acclaim for her HBO Max series “I May Destroy You.” The program has garnered four Emmy nominations.
Much of the original ‘Black Panther’ cast is expected to return for the sequel. Among the actors reprising their roles are Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke and Florence Kasumba. Chadwick Boseman played the film’s titular character, Black Panther/T’Challa. He died in 2020 after having colon cancer for four years.
“It’s clearly very emotional without Chad,” Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige told Variety in June. “But everyone is also very excited to bring the world of Wakanda back to the public and back to the fans. We’re going to do it in a way that would make Chad proud.”
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