Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was one of the most anticipated films of 2022 and when it did arrive in November, it lived up to the hype. So impressive were some of the performances in the film, it earned Angela Bassett who played Queen Ramonda, Marvel’s first acting Oscar nomination. The death of star actor, Chadwick Boseman meant that the film, directed by Ryan Coogler had to undergo some changes. One of which meant that the king would not be recast and Wakanda would need a new protector. Coogler’s work was impressive, and at the film’s end during the mid-credits scene, we all received a surprise.
Marvel unveiled that prior to his death in the film, Chadwick’s King T’Challa had fathered a son with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). The young man was introduced as Toussaint, also known as Prince T’Challa, to his aunt, Shuri (Letitia Wright). The young Prince T’Challa was played by Divine Love Konadu-Sun who was asked in an interview with POC Culture what it meant to be a part of Wakanda Forever. The eight-year-old Konadu-Sun described it as being “very exciting” and “wonderful”. “It’s definitely very exciting. It was wonderful,” the young actor said. “It was a dream come true because I’ve been wanting to do it for so long, and also it was amazing because I finally got to see myself on the big screen, and I’ve wanted to do that since I saw Black Panther.”
The appearance of the young prince was one of many ways Marvel sought throughout the film to honor the fallen king, on and off the screen. Konadu-Sun also revealed that his preparations for joining the MCU involved watching Boseman’s debut film in the franchise, Captain America: Civil War. Speaking on how he reacted after getting the role, the young recalls, “I hugged my parents, and I was just dancing a whole bunch.”
