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Actor Chadwick Boseman portrayed the role of King T'Challa of fictional kingdom Wakanda in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He was part of four MCU films, namely Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and finally Avengers: Endgame (2019). As his role in Black Panther 2 was written, the star passed away untimely after his battle with colon cancer.
It was then when director Ryan Coogler decided to incorporate Boseman's death into the story of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It ended up being a great tribute to the star, as the whole of Wakanda ritualistically mourned his passing.
Boseman made a lot of impact with his Civil War debut and kept fans entertained until his last appearance in Endgame. This article explores how King T'Challa's death was portrayed in the MCU.
King T'Challa apparently suffered from a mysterious illness
T'Challa is said to have passed away from a mysterious illness. His exit was as abrupt as the news of Chadwick Boseman's passing was to the rest of the world. It was explained in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that T'Challa was suffering from an unknown illness, and he kept it secret because he did not want anyone else to worry about it.
This is why Shuri is still unable to deal with the loss of her brother. She believed that the heart-shaped herb had the means to cure his illness. In the first film, Erik Killmonger ordered everyone to burn down all the herbs, with the exception of one that Shuri sneaked away.
The last herb was used on T'Challa as he took back the mantle of the Black Panther in the first film and defeated Killmonger. Since T'Challa kept his condition until the last moment, Shuri was unable to come up with a solution and was unable to prevent his passing.
Parallels between T'Challa and Chadwick Boseman's passing
The King of Wakanda kept his illness a secret but told it only to those he thought should be prepared for his passing. Similarly, Chadwick Boseman kept his illness a secret. Fans came to know about the actor's battle with cancer after his family revealed that the actor had passed away.
Boseman worked hard on his projects, such as Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Black Panther. The actor's character was celebrated to the degree that he persisted throughout Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In the movie, it is shown that M'Baku also finds the sacrifice of the late King noble, as he remains loyal to Wakanda with his service.
The post-credits scene established T'Challa's legacy
It was also showed that while the King of Wakanda passed away, he did leave an heir to the throne, his son Toussaint. The latter is unaware of his inheritance from the Black Panther mantle, however, he is aware of his princely status. Toussaint is his Haitian name, his name translates to 'T'Challa' in Wakandan.
Nakia raises Toussaint away from Wakanda in Haiti so that he doesn't succumb to the pressures of the throne. However, it just so happens that Wakanda is in its most tumultuous situation after the event of the first film, so he gets to experience life as a normal person before eventually taking up his role as the King of Wakanda.
What comes after Wakanda Forever?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opened up a new realm of possibilities for the MCU. While Riri Williams finally saw her debut as Ironheart, an untitled Wakanda series is also about to undergo production.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine also set up Marvel's Thunderbolts, as she went around recruiting unlikely morally ambiguous figures from the Avengers' past and bringing them as a sort of super team. It's about time for the Thunderbolts, as DCEU has already established The Suicide Squad, and done so quite successfully with the reboot.
Chadwick Boseman will forever remain an eternal part of the MCU. With his immense contribution, Black Panther came to life and became a significant cultural influence all over the world. It's only a matter of time before we see more of the Black Panther's son, Toussaint.
