Brother of late Actor Chadwick Boseman, Derrick Boseman, is championing calls to have Marvel Studious recast the iconic role of T’Challa in the Black Panther Franchise.

In an interview with TMZ, Derrick insisted that his late brother would have wanted the character to continue, adding that he [Chadwick] considered the role bigger than one person and represented a culture.

He notes that the character is seen as a beacon especially for black children who aspire to be great, and with the studio’s plan to kill him deprives them of that figure.

There is currently a petition among fans to have the role of king T’Challa re-casted for future Black Panther movies. The petition has so far gained upwards of 45,000 signatures in the appeal. 

Boseman, 41, who was best known for his lead in the Marvel-produced Black Panther, passed away in 2019 after a private fight with cancer, just before his reprise of the iconic king of the Wakanda.

The movie’s sequel Wakanda Forever is currently in production, with a tentative release date of November 11, 2022.