Doja Cat and The Weeknd are among the artists reportedly in talks to write new music for Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The sequel to 2018’s platinum-certified Black Panther: The Album, the soundtrack aims to be “bigger than the first,” according to the new report. Kendrick Lamar executive produced and curated the album for the first movie, which featured the Grammy and Academy Award-nominated soundtrack single “All the Stars” with SZA, “King’s Dead,” and The Weeknd’s “Pray For Me.” Artists featured on the Billboard-topping first album include 2 Chainz, Swae Lee, Jorja Smith, Khalid, Schoolboy Q, and Travis Scott.
According to Metro UK, Marvel Studios has finalized the storyline for Black Panther 2 and is now “courting artists to start writing songs with it in mind.” Doja Cat, who performed “Boss Bitch” for Warner Bros. and DC Comics adaptation Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, is in talks for the Wakanda Forever soundtrack alongside “Shut Up” and “Vossi Bop” rapper Stormzy.
Other artists named in the report include Giveon (Drake’s “Chicago Freestyle,” Justin Bieber’s “Peaches”), Brent Faiyaz (“Gravity,” “Wasting Time”), Solange (“Electric Lady,” “Almeda”), and The Weeknd, whose hit single “Pray For Me” appeared in Black Panther and peaked at #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
“Doja Cat is one of the artists who is in line to perform on the soundtrack because of her South African heritage,” an unnamed source told Metro. “The Weeknd, Solange and Stormzy are also being considered as the producers want a wide range of smash-hit artists to make this soundtrack bigger than the first.”
In November, Marvel paused production on the sequel with returning writer-director Ryan Coogler. Filming is expected to resume late next month in Atlanta, Georgia, with returning cast members Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett.
Marvel Studios previously confirmed the sequel would not recast the role of T’Challa after lead actor Chadwick Boseman died last August aged 43. New cast additions include Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) and Dominque Thorne (Judas and the Black Messiah) as Riri “Ironheart” Williams.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is scheduled to open in theaters on November 11, 2022.
