Black Panther 2 lost script exposed: Here’s what was originally planned for Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa and his son

When Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hit screens in 2022, audiences were moved by its tribute to Chadwick Boseman and its exploration of grief and female empowerment. But recent revelations by director Ryan Coogler have illuminated an earlier version of the sequel that was a dramatically different one that placed fatherhood, identity and duty at its emotional core.




Before Boseman’s tragic passing in 2020 from colon cancer, Coogler had completed a 180‑page script for Black Panther 2 that centered on King T’Challa reconnecting with his eight‑year‑old son, Toussaint, a child he had been separated from due to the events of Avengers: Infinity War and the Blip.

A key element of this original draft was the “Ritual of 8,” a Wakandan tradition requiring an eight‑year‑old prince and his father to survive eight days in the wilderness together. During this time, the son could ask any question and the father had to answer a narrative device designed to explore truth, vulnerability and cultural continuity.




Even within this familial journey, the story still incorporated Namor as the antagonist. However, instead of a straightforward action plot, the conflict would have juxtaposed the external threat of Talokan with T’Challa’s internal struggle to balance duty to his kingdom and to his child. The obligation to stay with his son during the ritual even amid war would have raised stakes in a novel way for the MCU.




After Boseman’s death, Coogler and co‑writer Joe Robert Cole reimagined the narrative into what became Wakanda Forever, focusing on Wakanda’s mourning and the rise of Shuri as Black Panther. But the echoes of the earlier draft remain: the post‑credits introduction of Toussaint nods to the father‑son relationship that might have been, offering fans a glimpse of what could have deepened Marvel’s emotional tapestry.

This lost script rooted in tradition, introspection, and intergenerational bonds reminds us that superhero cinema continues evolving, often shaped by stories behind the scenes as much as those on screen.