‘Black Panther’ director Ryan Coogler on making film without Chadwick Boseman

Joyann Jeffrey
Updated ·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Ryan Coogler, who directed "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," acknowledged just how tough it was to film the superhero movie after Chadwick Boseman's death.

“Things don’t get easier without Chadwick, they get harder,” Coogler, 36, told TODAY at the special red-carpet screening of Marvel Studios’ sequel in New York City. “His being around made things go smoother, but it was a reality that we had to face.”

Zinzi Evans and Director Ryan Coogle at Marvel Studio's
Zinzi Evans and Director Ryan Coogle at Marvel Studio's

In 2020, Boseman died from colon cancer. He was 43.

The "Judas and the Black Messiah" producer noted that being around Boseman in the final years of his life motivated him and the rest of the cast to do a good job on the film. And at the end of the movie, he said it "enabled us to end up in a good place."

Whoopi Goldberg, who also attended the NYC screening, told TODAY that she wanted to attend the red carpet event to show support for the cast and the movie, which celebrates Black culture.

"They supported me. This cast has come out to see 'Till.' They've been around and I felt that I should do the same," Goldberg, who plays Alma Carthan in "Till," said.

Whoopi Goldberg at a special screening of
Whoopi Goldberg at a special screening of

However, Goldberg noted that one of her favorite parts about "Black Panther" was seeing Boseman perform, and since she knew him for "such a long time," it was "shocking" when she learned of his death.

"It was sad. It was really, really sad," she said. "But I love that 'Black Panther' is continuing on."

Queen Latifah, who also made an appearance at the screening, told TODAY that she loved "everything" about the first "Black Panther" movie.

But it broke her heart when she learned that Boseman had died.

Queen Latifah at a special screening of
Queen Latifah at a special screening of

"I loved him. We were always cool," she said. "We always greeted each other warmly. We would see each other in all kinds of places and it was always love. So when I heard he died, it kind of hurt me. But at the same time, what a life lived! What an example. So people need to take that and run with it and live their lives to the fullest and the greatest."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com