3 Years After Black Panther's Death, 'Marvel Zombies' Gives Him Another Incredible Send-off Actorsvaultpro

While Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa/Black Panther may have been put to rest in an emotionally resonant way with Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the absence of the actor and his version of the character is still felt as strongly as ever. Marvel Studios and Coogler made the thoughtful decision to have the character pass away off-screen, as recasting Boseman at the time would have felt like a ludicrous decision. Still, that hasn’t stopped the creatives at Marvel Studios from finding ways to honor Boseman and his performance as the character, particularly in Marvel Zombies.

The limited event series, comprising four episodes, showcases a range of gruesome deaths affecting beloved Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) heroes and villains alike. No one is safe, as evident in the What If…? episode that ultimately spawned the series. However, the third episode of the series features a dignified sendoff for this version of Black Panther, in a way that honors Boseman’s portrayal of the character, making him one of the most important characters in the story, all without requiring the character to deliver a single line of dialogue.

‘Marvel Zombies’ Gives Black Panther One Final Epic Fight

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Episode 3 of Marvel Zombies recounts the fate of the surviving characters from the What If…? story, including Peter Parker, Scott Lang, and T’Challa. In the story narrated by Peter, the group arrives in Wakanda to attempt to use the Mind Stone to cure the zombie plague, unaware that a zombified version of Thanos awaits them upon arrival. In a riff on the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Peter and the group attempt to fight the now less-aware but still deadly version of Thanos, with Thor even recreating his arrival from the Avengers film before he is promptly taken out of commission.

It’s in these next moments that it’s revealed that, as Zombie Thanos grows more sentient and powerful with the gauntlet, Black Panther decides to sacrifice himself, Thanos, and the infinity stones by destroying them all in the vibranium core of Wakanda. It’s a beautiful moment as Peter narrates T’Challa’s last stand, and his final words are “Wakanda Forever.” Having Peter narrate the moment negates the need to cast another voice actor in the role, a wise decision that further emphasizes the fact that Marvel is in no rush to recast T’Challa, regardless of the medium.

Black Panther Saves the Universe in ‘Marvel Zombies’

It’s a Beautiful Tribute to the Character

Black Panther, Scott Lang, and Spider-Man flying into battle in 'Marvel Zombies'

In what easily could have been a cheap moment that underscores what Coogler and the team behind Black Panther: Wakanda Forever tried to do in honoring T’Challa and Boseman, Marvel Zombies instead opts for a touching conclusion for the character that has a lasting effect on the rest of the series. T’Challa’s noble sacrifice prevents the immediate destruction of the universe, and the character also manages to complete a feat no other character in the MCU has done single-handedly: destroying both the Infinity Stones and Thanos in a single blow. While it took several Avengers and even the sacrifice of Tony Stark to stop Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, T’Challa, as Black Panther, gets yet another touching sendoff, free from the gore and senselessness that befell so many other characters in the series.

Despite it being three years since the character passed away off-screen, Marvel Studios has continued to find new ways to honor Boseman’s legacy as the character. While the character almost had a darker fate in the original Zombies episode, the hero was able to get one last incredible fight, complete with a musical score reminiscent of the Black Panther films.

It’s a brief reprieve from the intense casualties of the show and serves as a beautiful tribute to the character and the actor who brought him to life. Much like Wakanda Forever, this small moment in Episode 3 of Marvel Zombies only uses echoes of Boseman’s immense talent and Black Panther’s prowess as a character to create an emotional sendoff. Marvel Zombies is streaming now on Disney+.