Ryan Coogler almost quit directing after Chadwick Boseman's death

The Creed filmmaker had been working on ideas for a sequel to the 2018 Marvel blockbuster when Boseman died in August 2020 aged 43 following a private battle with colon cancer. Coogler found himself mourning the loss of his star, his close friend and a collaborator who helped shape the Black Panther stories. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Coogler admitted the loss made him consider leaving the filmmaking business altogether. "I was at a point when I was like, 'I'm walking away from this business. I didn't know if I could make another movie period,..."