It is a cinematic “what if” that tugs at the heart of every Marvel fan: a version of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever where King T’Challa, played by the late Chadwick Boseman, never died. Instead of a funeral dirge, the film was originally designed as a high-stakes father-son survival epic.

In a revelation that adds a new layer of poignancy to the franchise, writer-director Ryan Coogler has unveiled the original script’s premise. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, Coogler detailed a narrative centered not on grief, but on a rite of passage that will sound strikingly familiar to many Kenyan families familiar with traditional initiation ceremonies.

The Ritual of Eight

Before Boseman’s tragic passing in 2020, Coogler had completed a script titled “The Ritual of Eight.” The story was set to explore T’Challa’s role as a father, a dynamic that was only briefly hinted at in the final version of the film.

“I loved that script, bro,” Coogler told Horowitz, noting that he wrote it specifically because he felt he had truly gotten to know Boseman as a performer. The core conflict revolved around a Wakandan tradition that required the King to strip away his technology and title to bond with his heir.

According to Coogler, the ritual entailed:

• The Bush Retreat: When a prince turns eight, he must spend eight days in the bush with his father.
• No Vibranium: They must survive without any tools or advanced technology.
• Absolute Truth: The prince must obey his father, but in return, he can ask any question, and the father must answer truthfully.

This concept of a retreat into the wilderness for instruction and bonding mirrors various rites of passage across East Africa, where the transfer of wisdom from one generation to the next is sacred. However, in the Marvel Universe, peace rarely lasts eight days.

A War on Two Fronts

The narrative tension was set to explode when Namor, the antagonist of the sequel, launched an attack during this vulnerable period. Coogler explained that the script featured a “different version” of Namor, but the threat remained existential.

“He had to deal with someone who was, like, insanely dangerous,” Coogler noted. The twist? The ritual could not be broken. T’Challa would have been forced to engage in high-level negotiations and brutal combat while his eight-year-old son was physically attached to his hip.

Imagine the tactical nightmare: The Black Panther defending his nation while ensuring his child—who is right there in the line of fire—remains safe. It promised a level of intimacy and tension that differs vastly from the grand, army-versus-army battles typical of the genre.

A Script Left Unread

The tragedy of this revelation lies in the timing. Coogler confirmed that he finished the draft and sent it to Boseman. However, the actor, who was privately battling colon cancer, was too ill to read it before he passed away.

Following the loss, Coogler and the cast—including Kenya’s own Lupita Nyong’o—had to pivot. The resulting film, Wakanda Forever, became a global phenomenon, grossing over $859 million (approx. KES 111.6 billion) worldwide. It transformed into a meditation on loss, mirroring the real-life grief of the cast and audience.

While the franchise is moving forward—with a third film tentatively expected around 2028—fans are left with the bittersweet image of what could have been: a King and his son, alone in the bush, fighting for their future.