Black Panther 2 actor Lupita Nyong'o opened up about her complicated feelings over returning to film the sequel following the passing of star Chadwick Boseman.

Nyong'o spoke to Yahoo! about the experience of gearing up for the next film with last year's loss of Boseman still so fresh. "People will ask me, 'Are you excited to go back?' Excitement isn’t the word. I feel like I’m in a very pensive and meditative state when it comes to Black Panther 2," Nyong'o said. His passing is still extremely raw for me," Nyong’o said. "And I can’t even begin to imagine what it will be like to step on set and not have him there."

RELATED: Michael B. Jordan Explains Why He'd Return for Black Panther 2

Not only will the cast and crew be dealing with the loss of Boseman, but writer and director Ryan Coogler will also need to contend with a story reason for T'Challa's absence. Marvel has claimed they will not recast T'Challa, despite some fans wanting the character's legacy to continue with a new actor. What isn't yet known is how the story will address T'Challa, but Nyong'o touched on the process.

"But at the same time, we have a leader in Ryan, who feels very much like we do, who feels the loss in a very, very real way as well," Nyong'o continued. "And his idea, the way which he has reshaped the second movie is so respectful of the loss we’ve all experienced as a cast and as a world. So it feels spiritually and emotionally correct to do this. And hopefully, what I do look forward to, is getting back together and honoring what he started with us and holding his light through it. Because he left us a lot of light that we’re still going to be bathing in. I know that for sure."

Nyong'o recently said the cast and crew of Black Panther 2 were determined to honor the legacy of Boseman's T'Challa, hinting that it could be reimagined, though she offered no further details. Marvel has also promised a CGI version of Boseman won't be used, so it remains unclear what direction the story will take. Many fans assume Shuri will become the Black Panther, as she does in the comics, but whether T'Challa will simply be absent or said to have died in the MCU remains to be seen.

RELATED: Black Panther 2 Director Ryan Coogler Will Shoot in Georgia Despite New Voting Law

Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther 2 arrives in theaters July 8, 2022.

Source: Yahoo!