Black Panther 2 Will Still Film In Georgia Despite Recent Voter Laws

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Black Panther 2 will still film in Georgia this summer despite the state's recent controversial voter laws, as director Ryan Coogler hopes the film's presence can aid in overturning the bill. Georgia has become the center of the conversation about voting rights in recent weeks after passing Senate Bill 202. The new bill signed by Republican Governor Brian Kemp at the end of March will reduce the number of ballot drop boxes, ban the supply of food and water to voters in line, and add multiple extra steps to the registration and absentee voting process.

The impacts of Georgia's voting bill will have other impacts on the state and its citizens, as multiple celebrities vowed to not work in the state unless it was overturned. Major League Baseball moved its All-Star game out of Atlanta, but some in Hollywood have also stepped up to speak out against the bill. This included Star Wars legend Mark Hamill and Logan director James Mangold announcing personal boycotts over working there. Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua's slave drama Emancipation also decided to move its production out of the state and go to Louisiana instead. Many have been wondering what other major films and studios will do, especially since Atlanta is one of the biggest homes to movie and TV show productions.

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One film that will not leave Georgia behind is Black Panther 2. Director Ryan Coogler shared a statement with Deadline explaining the decision to keep production in Georgia despite this law. Coogler explained that he is vehemently against SB202 but believes pulling Black Panther 2 out of the state will only hurt the citizens even more. He pledges to raise awareness for the harmful bill and will encourage those working on the movie to fight to overturn SB202. Below is a segment from his full statement where Coogler outlines why he isn't boycotting Georgia and will spend many months there soon to begin work on Black Panther 2.

Having now spoken with voting rights activists in the state, I have come to understand that many of the people employed by my film, including all the local vendors and businesses we engage, are the very same people who will bear the brunt of SB202. For those reasons, I will not be engaging in a boycott of Georgia. What I will be doing is using my voice to emphasize the effects of SB202, it’s shameful roots in Jim Crow, and doing all I can to support organizations fighting voter suppression here in the state.

Coogler and Marvel Studios will now officially call Georgia the home of Black Panther 2's production, just as they did with the original film. Marvel Studios has made a habit of filming at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta and only recently finished work on Spider-Man: No Way Home. The state should continue to be the location for many other Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and Disney+ shows. She-Hulk is potentially already filming there and Hawkeye is still finishing up too. Black Panther 2 is the only upcoming MCU movie confirmed to film in Georgia though, with Thor: Love and Thunder filming in Australia and Captain Marvel 2 moving to London.

With Black Panther 2 slated to begin filming in July in Atlanta, it might not be long before Coogler travels to the state to begin prepping for the long shoot. He will have a lot on his plate with directing the movie, guiding the film forward without Chadwick Boseman around, and now giving support to efforts to overturn SB202. Not everyone will agree with his decision to keep Black Panther 2 in Georgia, but Coogler's reasoning for sticking around and helping the citizens already affected by the bill is understandable and admirable.