The cast and director of Marvel Studios' upcoming sequel to "Black Panther" paid tribute to their late co-star Chadwick Boseman on Saturday, saying they worked through their grief while making the new film.
Lupita Nyong'o, Letitia Wright, and other stars attended the San Diego Comic-Con pop culture convention to preview "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," which is set to hit theatres in November.
Boseman, who played the title character in the 2018 film, died of cancer two years later at the age of 43, prompting a rewrite of the sequel.
Reuters reported that director Ryan Coogler recalled watching scenes from the first "Black Panther" with Boseman at a previous Comic-Con and the actor gripping his shoulder with excitement.
"I swear I can feel his hand on me right now," said Coogler. "His spirit, passion, genius, pride in his culture, and the impact he made on his industry will be felt for the rest of his life."
After fans were shown a trailer depicting the fictional kingdom of Wakanda grappling with the loss of their former leader, the cast and creators hugged on stage.
The scenes were greeted with thunderous applause.
"Sharing this trailer was cathartic and very emotional," Nyong'o said after the presentation to Reuters. "We've all been through a lot."
Wright revealed that several scenes in the new film were inspired by the cast's grief over the loss of Boseman.
"You saw raw emotions in that trailer," Wright explained. "We were not acting. It was genuine because we were feeling and grieving so deeply." ...Reuters
