Tributes fit for a king.
During the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiere in Los Angeles on Oct. 26, the cast came together to not only celebrate the next Black Panther installment, but to also honor the late Chadwick Boseman, who played the titular superhero (a.k.a King T'Challa) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor, who starred in the 2018 film, was set to return for the film before passing away in August 2020.
Angela Bassett , who plays Chadwick's on-screen mom, reflected on the emotions of returning to the set in his absence, sharing one particular point she felt his spirit the most.
"When we all gathered in the throne room, in the council," Angela exclusively told E! News on the red carpet. "I just remember just sitting there in silence, just thinking about it. Losing your son, losing your king, and it was just such reverence that we have in general, but of course, even more so without him. We saw the measure of himself that he gave on a daily basis, on a moment to basis, with each and every person and we were just trying to emulate that."
Danai Gurira, who plays T'Challa's trusted bodyguard Okoye in the films, also shared the memories of Chadwick that she continues to hold close.
"One of the things that was very, very nourishing to me as we shot this film was keeping his image and his memory so close at all times," she shared, "and knowing how he functioned in a space, how he was a creator and was all about the generosity towards others, and also just relentless pursuit of excellence and just really loving on each other.
As Danai noted, she's found herself forever inspired by Chadwick's legacy. "That type of ease and love and generosity from a leader," she added, "is something that definitely always guides me even outside of shooting this film."
The movie's stars also paid tribute to the late actor with their attire for the evening. Director and co-writer Ryan Coogler paid homage by wearing a gold necklace inscribed with Chadwick's face on the pendant. In addition, the film's star, Letitia Wright, who plays T'Challa's little sister Shuri, also honored her on-screen brother by wearing an all-black suit that echoed his exact outfit worn to the 2018 Oscars.
The sequel hits theaters Nov. 11.
Keep reading for a closer look at the evening's stars: