The untimely death of Chadwick Boseman was a devastating loss earlier this year. Among many of the holes left in the wake of his death was this: What will the future of Black Panther and that world's place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe look like? Will they recast Boseman's title role of T'Challa, the king of Wakanda? Should they? How could they? Today, during Disney Investor Day's presentation, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige definitively announced that they will not recast the role of T'Challa for Black Panther 2, the forthcoming sequel — and he shared its release date and new area of focus as well.

Black Panther co-writer and director Ryan Coogler will be back for the Black Panther 2, which is scheduled to hit theaters July 8, 2022. And Coogler will instead focus on the rich world of Wakanda and the many wonderful supporting characters introduced and  explored in the first film, which could include performers like Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, many other existing characters already seen and crossed over within the MCU, or some newcomers we haven't conceived of yet.

This is absolutely the best decision for the Marvel team moving forward. Boseman, as a talent and a human being, cannot be replaced, and to do so for Black Panther 2 would feel cheap and crass. I'm looking forward, in a bittersweet way, to seeing how Coogler will keep this universe growing and expanding, what a more multifaceted, ensemble-focused story might look like, and how the film will pay tribute to their, and our, king.

Black Panther 2 comes to theaters July 8, 2022. Here's the official word about the release date and decision not to recast Boseman's role as T'Challa from Disney's official Twitter account.