He said that when the film was shown at the 2017 convention, “sitting right next to me, my left, was our T’Challa. The late, great Chadwick Boseman.”
He continued, “The cast including Chad hadn’t yet seen the footage so they played it right beside me, and he was very excited.” Chadwick had enormous hands and grabbed me by the shoulder. He was a giant, and it is why the Panther suit fit him so well.
And they apparently packed a serious punch.
“He was really, really strong and he was getting excited as the clip went on and on, longer and longer, he was just squeezing down on my shoulder the whole time,” Coogler joked about Boseman. He was amazed when it was over. Congratulations!’ Congratulations! “And my arm couldn’t be lifted.”
The moment left a deep impression—literally—on the director. He said, “I felt his hands for the remainder of that day for several hours.” “Standing here with y’all right now—listening to that music from those artists and thinking about it all—I promise you I can feel his hand on me right now.”
Coogler stated that while Chad has passed away physically, the legacy of his spirit, passion and genius as well as his pride in this community will live on forever. This film is a tribute to Chadwick.
Check out the trailer Wakanda Forever: Black Panther below.