‘Wakanda Forever’ Stars Remember Chadwick Boseman Ahead of Film Release (Exclusive)

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is expected to be a blockbuster hit when it opens on November 11, but one major piece is missing… Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer last year.

“Extra’s” Melvin Robert caught up with Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright, who are remembering the original Black Panther.

When asked how tough it was to carry on without Chadwick, Lupita answered, “Chadwick worked through all sorts of illness that I was not aware of, and he did so with such grace… I really wanted to bring as much grace to the process, be open-hearted, be present, enjoy it.”

Danai stressed, “Our goal with this film really is to honor Chadwick Boseman. It was very much about coming together in that way and deeply in our hearts.”

Danai noted, “I leaned a lot on my cast members, I leaned a lot on Letitia… There were times you don't know when you're gonna be hit by grief because that's how grief works. I remember a day when there were new cast members that were really there for us.”

Of his legacy, Gurira commented, “He was so exemplary as a leader, and what leadership really meant was so beautifully personified through how he… guided us through…the creation of the last film…He was just very, very present to everyone…I had his picture in my notebooks, I needed be able to look into his eyes and center myself.”

Letitia admitted it was “super hard” without Chadwick on the second movie. She said, “That's the heartbeat of ‘Black Panther,’ he really set the tone from our salute… We do this for him and we do it to honor him. I feel like we gave our hearts… I'm really proud of us, you know?”

Letitia, who is rumored to be the next Black Panther, said she was also proud of Rihanna’s soundtrack song “Lift Me Up,” a tribute to Chadwick.