Whoopi Goldberg has urged Disney Parks to consider building a ‘Blank Panther’-themed land in tribute to Chadwick Boseman.
The late actor – who passed away last week following a secret battle with colon cancer – starred in the Marvel movie as T’Challa and his titular alter-ego.
And following his tragic death, Whoopi has said she would love to see Disney honour Chadwick’s memory by creating a new experience in one of their theme parks which emulates the fictional world of Wakanda seen in the flick.
She tweeted this week: "Dear People in charge of building NEW experiences Disney Land and World we don’t really need another Frozen land BUT what we could use is Wakonda, please Disneyworld Disneyland PLEASE build in Chadwick Boseman’s name WAKONDA (sic)"
Disney – which owns resorts and theme parks in California, Florida, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo – already have several "worlds" in their parks which are dedicated to certain movies or themes, including big franchises such as ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Avatar’.
Whoopi’s desire for a Wakanda-themed world comes after a petition was launched to have a statue erected in Chadwick’s honour in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina.
The petition reads: "Throughout his career, he has brought to life such historical figures as James Brown, Jackie Robinson, and Thurgood Marshall. However, most notably he was known for playing T’Challa the King of Wakanda also known as the Black Panther. This film, along with his entire body of work, has uplifted and inspired many Black Americans especially during the turbulent times our nation is going through. In addition to his illustrious film career, Mr. Boseman made it a mission to give back to his community.
"Not only with his appearances at his alma mater Howard University but financially as well. Upon the release of his film Black Panther, Mr. Boseman took it upon himself to rent out a theatre in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina to show the film for free. So that young boys and girls could be inspired by the film without the financial barrier. Mr. Boseman is without question an American treasure and his accolades go on and on."
Anderson will be holding a memorial service for Chadwick this week, with speeches from a pastor, a former classmate of Chadwick’s at high school, and a message from the Mayor himself.
There will be a screening of ‘Black Panther’ and locals have submitted Chadwick-themed artwork to be displayed.