No, Rihanna Will Not Be Part of 'Black Panther 2'

From Harper's BAZAAR

Rihanna won't be appearing in the world of Wakanda anytime soon.

Rumors claiming that the pop star and Fenty mogul landed a role in the sequel to Marvel's mega-hit Black Panther began circulating online this week. Speculation grew even more when Rihanna would pop up after Googling "Black Panther 2 Cast," her name nestled in with those of confirmed cast members like Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Leticia Wright, and more.

E! News has confirmed, however, that the Barbados-born singer will not be part of the upcoming film. No stranger to Hollywood, Rihanna has scored roles in films including Ocean's Eight (2018) and Battleship (2012). And, of course, real RiRi fans will remember her cameo in Bring It On: All or Nothing alongside another fellow musician, Solange Knowles (though they probably don't want us to remember that happened). So a future on-screen gig is inevitable; it just won't be the Black Panther sequel.

Production for the surefire blockbuster is reportedly set to begin in July 2021 in Atlanta with a tentative 2022 release. Little is known about the storyline, since the original script had to be completely rewritten following the sudden passing of the film's star, Chadwick Boseman, who played the Black Panther and T'Challa, this past August.

Fans on social media have expressed their wishes to see Wright, who plays T'Challa's little sister, Shuri, become the film's new star. The character of Shuri eventually becomes the new Black Panther following the death of T'Challa in the original comics as well.

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