Black Panther 2 director Ryan Coogler has confirmed he will not be taking production for the upcoming MCU film out of the state of Georgia, which is currently under fire for new voting laws. In an op-ed for Shadow and Act, Coogler was sure to note that he does not agree with the new legislation, set forth in Senate Bill 202, but is opting to keep production in Georgia, as to not further hurt those who are affected by the restrictive voting laws. The director has made it clear that he is “profoundly disappointed” by SB202, and will dedicate his free time to talking to citizens of the state as well as its lawmakers to fight what President Joe Biden is calling “Jim Crow in the 21st century.”

“I will encourage everyone working with me to tap in with the local community directly affected by Senate Bill 202 and to leverage their influence and resources to aid in the fight for this particular and essential pillar of democracy,” Coogler noted. He also added that he made it his “personal commitment to raise awareness about ways to help overturn this harmful bill,” while promising to encourage those who work with him on the film to do the same.

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Image via Marvel Studios

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The director’s decision to keep Black Panther 2 in Georgia follows the news of other productions moving out of the state as part of a much-supported boycott. According to The Hollywood Reporter, director James Mangold has vowed to not film in the peach state again due to the laws, while Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua have also contributed to the boycott by pulling their upcoming film Emancipation from the state.

Some are fighting back against those who are boycotting Georgia, especially Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter Bernice King, who tweeted that the movement is more hurtful than helpful. "Please stop the #BoycottGeorgia talk," she wrote. "That would hurt middle-class workers and people grappling with poverty. And it would increase the harm of both racism and classism."

Black Panther 2 is set to begin production later this year, with a current release date of July 8, 2022.

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