Black Panther Director Ryan Coogler Almost Quit Filmmaking After Chadwick Boseman's Death: "It Hurt A Lot"

Ryan Coogler nearly quit directing after Chadwick Boseman's death.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Coogler said he thought about walking away from showbiz after his Black Panther lead actor Chadwick Boseman passed away from colon cancer in 2020.

"I was at a point when I was like, 'I'm walking away from this business.'", Coogler said. "I didn't know if I could make another movie period, [let alone] another Black Panther movie, because it hurt a lot. I was like, 'Man, how could I open myself up to feeling like this again?'"

The director continued: "I was poring over a lot of our conversations that we had, towards when I realised was the end of his life... I decided that it made more sense to keep going."

Coogler explained that he ultimately decided to direct the sequel, Wakanda Forever: Black Panther, as it felt "truthful" to him.

He said: "It's my job as a filmmaker to do things that I have personal integrity with. If I don't believe in what I'm doing, I'm going to have a hard time getting other people to do their best work. For them to do their best work, they have to believe in it.

"At the end of the day, the choices we make have to feel truthful to me. When filmmakers make things that don't feel truthful to them, you can feel it. And I will argue that those projects don't have a shot at working."

In the Entertainment Weekly report, Lupita Nyong'o, who plays Nakia praised Coogler for making a quality picture under tragic circumstances.

The 12 Years a Slave actress said: "It was unfathomable to me. But Ryan managed to honour [Boseman's] life and his role in both the film and our lives with his moving, truthful, and clear vision."

Wakanda Forever: Black Panther opens in Singapore cinemas on Nov 10.

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos