The filming of black panther 2 was a roller coaster of blockages, emotions, complications and adventures. The project which entered production in 2018 and was interrupted and resumed several times along the way, finally wrapped filming at the end of March 2022. As such, its planned release date was also delayed by several months. One of the unexpected obstacles encountered on set was the director and main antagonist’s inability to swim.
Ryan Coogler has now revealed to Variety how the filming process went for the crew of black panther 2 given that much of the plot had to be filmed underwater.
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Ryan Coogler is learning to swim for Black Panther 2is filming
Audiences weren’t surprised to learn that Tenoch Huerta overdid things on his resume to land the role of Namor the Submarine in the hit MCU event, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The actor has indeed learned to swim in order to ensure the role of main antagonist of the film. black panther 2 director Ryan Coogler was also in the same boat when it came to his skills in the water.
Given how the film presents the underwater world of the Mesoamerican civilization of Talokan, despite leveraging Marvel’s impressive VFX department, some scenes had to be shot underwater on location. And it was a feat that challenged the director to pitch in with his team, given that he couldn’t just send his assistant director to do the job for him.
“If the camera is in the water, the actors are in the water, I have to be there too. I had to learn to swim in order to make this film.
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The director goes on to say, “Many of us were brought up to fear water” perhaps as a narrative of the socio-historical implications of black people and their ancestral trauma of death by drowning at birth or on their journey across the Atlantic to escape institutionalized oppression. Having overcome generations of ideological beliefs to pursue the Black Panther The tale of the sequel to a completion says a lot about the dedication he has shown in bringing the story to life.
The realization of Ryan Coogler’s vision in black panther 2
For Ryan Coogler, simply learning to ride the waves wasn’t enough. The young and talented director gave himself body and soul to the production of the Black Panther sequel since the 2018 film’s runaway success and record-breaking history. The Chadwick Boseman-directed solo superhero film reshaped the portrayal of black people on screen and secured the position as the fifth highest-grossing film of all time, through 2022. Top Gun: Maverick knocks the film off its rightful throne.
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However, the efforts were quickly rewarded when Coogler started the process of launching the sequel. Then came the death of Chadwick Boseman, a tragedy that shook the very heart of the industry, the COVID-19 pandemic, the injuries sustained by Letitia Wright who was next in line to the throne, his alleged anti-vax campaign and his repercussions across the Atlantic. 4 long years later, the movie that was meant to be, saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and with it came an overwhelming wave of nostalgia, rehashing of the past, and healing from the grief left behind by a remarkable man.
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The sequel’s judiciously poignant storyline navigates the in-universe characters’ journey following the passing of their leader and is intrinsically tied to the aftermath of Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death in August 2020. It was only fitting that the sequel, which in itself proved monumental in its ambition, would go all out in production to fulfill the late gifted actor’s lasting legacy.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debuts on November 11, 2022.
Source: Variety
