The sequel to Black Panther will be in theaters before the year ends. According to Angela Bassett, it will be even better than the original movie.
On Monday (March 21), the actress appeared as a guest on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show,” where she spoke about the forthcoming film. “It’s going to be amazing,” she said. “It’s going to top [the first] one. Can I say that?”
Bassett will reprise the role of Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda. Her statement about the upcoming movie leads to high expectations given the critical and cultural success of the first film.
which dropped in February 2018 — made $430 million in its first two weeks, according to IndieWire, and has since earned $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming Marvel’s highest-grossing superhero film of all time. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards and brought home three, including one for Best Picture. Additionally, the groundbreaking superhero film with an all-Black cast was recommended in schools, and its characters were emulated by people all over the world.
The original film saw its success due to the hard work of director Ryan Coogler and the cast, which then included Chadwick Boseman, who passed away after a private battle with pancreatic cancer. When asked about the difficulty of filming the Black Panther sequel without her friend and collaborator, Bassett took the time to praise the late star. “He was such an example, such a leader, an amazing talent — we all know that,” she said. “Big heart, great intellect, and we just hope to raise his standard.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will premiere in theaters on Nov. 11. As costar Lupita N’yongo previously told PEOPLE, the sequel will pay homage to Boseman, who previously portrayed King T’Challa aka Black Panther.
See a clip from Angela Bassett’s interview below.