Ryan Coogler is keen to continue the “Black Panther” story as it is what late star Chadwick Boseman would have wanted.
The 34-year-old filmmaker is developing a sequel to his 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie without lead star Chadwick, who died aged 43 in August 2020 after a private battle with cancer and wants to press on with the flick as it is what Boseman – who played T'Challa/Black Panther - would have wanted.
Ryan said: "You've got to keep going when you lose loved ones. I know Chad wouldn't have wanted us to stop.
"He was somebody who was so about the collective. 'Black Panther', that was his movie. He was hired to play that role before anybody else was even thought of, before I was hired, before any of the actresses were hired."
Ryan also recalled Chadwick's selflessness on set and how he would try and help other cast members with their performances.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said: "On that set, he was all about everybody else. Even though he was going through what he was going through, he was checking in on them, making sure they were good.
"If we cut his coverage, he would stick around and read lines off camera (to help other actors). So it would be harder for me to stop. Truthfully, I'd feel him yelling at me, like, 'What are you doing?' So you keep going."
Coogler adds that he misses the star as "a friend and collaborator" and is saddened that he won't be able to see Chadwick on the big screen any more.
He said: "I miss him in every way that you could miss somebody, as a friend, as a collaborator. And it sucks because I love watching movies, and I don't get to watch the next thing he would have made.
"So it's grief on a lot of levels, but then, it's a deep sense of gratitude because I can close my eyes and hear his voice."