Chadwick Boseman stands in front of a bright light as Black Panther in Avengers: Endgame

James Gunn remembers Chadwick Boseman on the anniversary of his death. The actor entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a fan-favorite turn as T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War. After that, Boseman would lead Black Panther, which turned into a major cultural event, and appear in two Avengers movies. Sadly, Boseman passed away on August 28, 2020, after a private four-year battle with colon cancer.

On Instagram, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn shared a heartfelt tribute to the MCU’s Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman, on the fourth anniversary of his death.

Gunn posted two photos of Boseman, with the actor dressed as Black Panther and holding a Rocket Raccoon reference prop in the first, and appearing next to Gunn and Guardians of the Galaxy actor Chris Pratt, while Gunn holds an award in the second. Boseman was part of some of the MCU’s best movies, and the actor’s impact on the franchise as Black Panther will continue to be felt in future MCU films.

How Chadwick Boseman’s Legacy As Black Panther Lives On In The MCU

T’Challa’s Presence Is Felt In The MCU

Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther, in the MCU

After Boseman’s tragic passing, Marvel Studios chose not to recast T’Challa. Instead, the character had an emotional off-screen death at the start of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. T’Challa’s death informed a lot of the plot and emotions of the characters for the rest of the movie. Letitia Wright’s Shuri, T’Challa’s sister, was chosen to serve as the MCU’s new Black Panther. After overcoming her grief, Shuri was able to defeat Namor and save Wakanda.

Shuri might not be the MCU’s only Black Panther in the future. The reason for that is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s mid-credits scene introduced his perfect MCU replacement. Shuri discovered that T’Challa had a son with Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, Toussaint. The young boy was hidden from the world, as T’Challa and Nakia did not think he should be revealed just yet. Toussaint is his Haitian name, with his Wakandan name being T’Challa, just like his father.

Marvel can now recast T’Challa without really recasting Boseman’s character. Through time travel or some other plot that could age him up, Toussaint/T’Challa could become the MCU’s Black Panther in a future movie. This way, the MCU could essentially explore all the many adventures T’Challa still could have in the shared universe while keeping Chadwick Boseman‘s version of the character untouched. Better yet, he would be a direct influence on the new T’Challa and would always be remembered by the hero.