The new 'Black Panther' is mostly being hailed as a triumph/a great tribute to Chadwick Boseman -- but there are still some who aren't happy with how the page was turned.

Indeed ... the #RecastTChalla crowd is out in full force right now on Twitter -- this after 'Wakanda Forever' hit theaters this weekend -- and they're voicing their ongoing grievances about Marvel/Disney choosing not to find a new lead hero in the wake of CB's real-life death.

They've been on this for a while now, with their main argument being that the character is bigger than just Chadwick alone ... something Kevin Feige and co. firmly disagreed with.

Now that the sequel is out, the #Recast crew feels like their argument is even stronger than ever ... pointing out what they see as holes and flaws in the new flick that they think a simple recast would've fixed. At this point, we're getting into ***SPOILERS AHEAD***

You can hop into the trend yourself to see all the points, but basically ... super fans just aren't happy with how T'Challa's death is addressed, probably because they never quite explain what killed him -- other than to mention some vague disease he succumbed to.

There is certainly a lot of onscreen mourning, and Chadwicks' shadow looms large as the backdrop -- but you never hear his voice in the film ... only silent flashbacks/montages. Some say there should've been more of a creative effort to actually have him reappear/speak on camera somehow -- like Carrie Fisher did in 'Rise of Skywalker' -- but it never happens.

There's also the issue of Letitia Wright/Shuri -- who, in fact, becomes the new Black Panther ... but literally just for the last 30 minutes or so, and only has one big fight sequence before she loses the suit. It's badass, but super brief -- and a fair amount of people feel like there simply wasn't enough Black Panther in 'BP' ... so they're complaining about this too.

Last but not least -- and this one is a *HUGE SPOILER* -- there's a new "T'Challa," of sorts, that's introduced at the very, very end in the post-credits scene ... T'Challa's son, Toussaint.

Essentially, they tease the notion that the kid will one day become the new king of Wakanda/assume the Black Panther mantle ... which effectively means more movies, etc.

Rihanna's delivering her second song for the "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" soundtrack ... another riveting ballad entitled "Born Again."

The song closes out the 'BPWF' soundtrack and is produced by the all-star team of The-Dream and Ludwig Göransson ... with Grammy-winner James Fauntleroy adding to the songwriting.

"Born Again" has Rihanna bookending the film's soundtrack -- her last song, the Chadwick Boseman tribute "Lift Me Up," is the opening track.

Both songs mark Rihanna's return to music after a 6-year hiatus and giving birth to a baby boy ... but fans shouldn't get their hopes up for a new album just yet.

During her Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 rollout last week, she clarified things for her rabid fanbase ... revealing her upcoming Super Bowl LVII performance didn't necessarily mean she was dropping a new album.

The last time we spoke to Rihanna she admitted she has some anxiety about the halftime show performance -- but the way her fans are excitedly receiving her new music should help with any butterflies.

Rihanna is officially back in the music scene ... releasing 'Lift Me Up' for the latest 'Black Panther' movie -- her first solo drop in about 6 years.

While it's not a dance track like many fans had expected, RiRi harmonizes over a slow beat ... before singing "Lift me up, hold me down, keep me close, safe and sound” in the chorus.

As we've told you, the tune will be featured in the upcoming Marvel sequel "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever". What's more, it was written as a tribute to late 'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman, who died back in 2020.

Rihanna, Afrobeats star Tems, Oscar-Grammy Award-winning producer Ludwig Göransson, and 'BP' director Ryan Coogler all came together to write the song.

The last time RiRi released music on her own was the "Anti" album, which came out back in 2016.

The singer has had a lot on her plate during her time away from music, like her fashion line, Savage X Fenty, which launched in 2018 and her beauty line Fenty Beauty which debuted the year before.

Of course, she recently entered the mommy club, after welcoming a baby boy with her boyfriend A$AP Rocky.

Kamaru Usman -- in Los Angeles for the Hollywood premiere of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" -- stopped by the TMZ offices and talked about being part of a major blockbuster action film ... even showing BTS photos from the set.

"To be honest, it's something I kind of spoke into existence," 35-year-old Usman said when he sat down with Babcock for the "TMZ Sports" TV show. "After seeing the first one, I was such a big fan. I was like, man why wouldn't I be in the second one? They're fighting, they're Africans, they look the part, they're physical, like, I should definitely be in it."

When he did land the role, the job was different than Kamaru thought ... turns out acting isn't easy!

"It was definitely not what I expected. Let me just say, it's much harder than I thought. Extremely harder than I thought."

Usman says the gravity of being in Black Panther hit him when he got to the set.

"My first day on set, I'm in a scene where I'm explaining -- well I don't wanna give away the movie, but I'm in front of the people in the movie, and a piece of me is like 'Oh s**t! I'm on set!' So, was a little bit nervous and I only had just a couple of lines!"

So nervous ... he literally forgot to deliver his lines.

"I was in awe of everybody to where I forgot to talk. So it's like my turn, everyone is quiet. Oh s**t, I forgot to talk, because I'm just so into everyone else. I mean just watching the masters at work was incredible."

Kamaru also shared some photographs from set -- where he posed with Winston Duke -- the first images we've seen of him in character.

Of course, the first Black Panther film, starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong'o was released in 2018 to worldwide acclaim. Many fans declared the movie the best in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Tragically, Chadwick died in mid-2020 after quietly and courageously battling colon cancer.

Despite the terrible loss, the cast and crew pushed forward with the highly anticipated sequel ... which drops worldwide on November 11.

The movie is all but assured to be one of the biggest of the year.

And, Usman hopes it's not his last film ... he sent a message to industry decision-makers.

Rihanna making her grand return to music with a song for the "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" soundtrack is the only thing that could make that movie even more anticipated ... and it's happening!!!

On Wednesday, the icon posted a sample to the upcoming song "Lift Me Up" to social media ... igniting excitement in the Navy, her passionate and loyal fanbase.

The brief teaser doesn't offer much ... just Rihanna harmonizing on what sounds like a solemn record, and we're told it will be a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, the star of the first 'BP' film.

RiRi also wrote "Lift Me Up" in collaboration with Afrobeats star Tems, Oscar-Grammy Award-winning producer Ludwig Göransson, 'BP' director Ryan Coogler ... and it will be released on her own Westbury Road label in collaboration with Roc Nation, Def Jam Recordings and Hollywood Records.

Tems says, "After speaking with Ryan and hearing his direction for the film and the song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I've lost in my life. I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them."

She adds, "Rihanna has been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honor."

The song marks her return to music after a noted 6+ year hiatus, and makes a great lead-up to her Super Bowl LVII halftime show appearance in February.

Angela Bassett simply won't crack -- and trust us, we tried -- on the new 'Black Panther' buzz surrounding Letitia Wright, but she is tipping her hat to Marvel's "smart" fans, and Disney ... for not recasting Chadwick Boseman's character.

We got Angela at Wally's in L.A. ... and she knows fans are excited to see the sequel, but she's sticking to an apparent code of silence about who's slipping into the super suit seen in the flick's new trailer.

She does admit the fans are smart, though -- saying Letitia's tech-savvy scientist character, Shuri, would be great to take the reins. Still, no confirmation from AB.

She gives us one interesting hint, saying the keen-eyed can "follow the signs and symbols."

Many have noted, for example, the white dot pattern on the mystery Panther's face to bear some serious resemblance to Shuri's.

Whether she's referring to metaphorical "signs and symbols" is unclear.

As for Chadwick's character, Angela got a little choked up telling us Marvel's decision to not recast the role was the right thing to do ... even though a solid percentage of fans were hoping a change would be made.

The new 'Black Panther' trailer seems to confirm there will be a woman filling out the suit -- but that's news to one of the stars of the flick ... who's staying as tight-lipped as possible.

Actress and stuntwoman Janeshia Adams-Ginyard -- who plays one of the Dora Milaje female warriors in the 2 films -- gave us her reaction to the 'Wakanda Forever' trailer Tuesday at LAX, but acted oblivious to what was actually shown ... especially at the end of the trailer.

Of course, we're referring to the fact Letitia Wright appears to be revealed as the new Black Panther, with her whole suit and everything shown in full view in the newly revealed scenes.

It sounds like JAG is also aware of that spoiler, and even though it's out there for the world to see now ... she's not taking ANY chances, and played dumb on the topic.

So much so, we had to ask her -- just how serious does Marvel take its movie secrets??? Watch her response ... the Kevin Feige memes are real!

On a more serious note, our photog also asks Janeshia what she thinks this sequel will mean for little girls of color ... and if it'll have the same impact the OG had for boys.

She made a pretty bold prediction ... that this flick will culturally, and financially, surpass part 1 by leaps and bounds. That's saying a lot, as "Black Panther" is one of the highest-grossing movies domestically ever, sitting comfortably in the Top 10.

Letitia Wright seems to be taking up the 'Black Panther' mantle post-Chadwick Boseman -- a revelation that just made itself clear in the latest trailer for the forthcoming sequel.

A new 'Wakanda Forever' trailer just dropped, and it appears to confirm a major fan theory that's been floated for months -- namely, that Shuri, T'Challa's sister in the film series, will become the costumed character going forward ... at least for now, anyway.

At the end of the trailer, you see a female 'Black Panther' standing tall -- and while it doesn't exactly spell out who's behind the mask ... all signs point to LW picking up the baton.

Right before we see the lady 'BP,' you see a shot of Letitia ... so it's not hard to piece this one together. Plus, this actually aligns with the comic series -- in one of the 'Black Panther' timelines, Shuri actually assumes the role for a while ... meaning her doing this is canon.

Of course, the reason this is even happening at all is because Chadwick passed away suddenly in 2020 -- succumbing to a cancer diagnosis that he kept private and hidden from public view. Marvel refused to recast the character ... so this is the route they've chosen.

The other reason this is noteworthy is because Letitia was embroiled in a controversy during COVID ... she was accused of spewing anti-vaxx rhetoric, and there were even some reports she took some of those sentiments on set with her during the filming of this movie.

From the wrestling ring ... to Wakanda?!?

WWE superstar Kofi Kingston says he's hoping he can do just that ... telling TMZ Sports this week he's absolutely itching to be in the upcoming "Black Panther" TV series.

"I already fit the mold," he said out LAX. "I was born in the Mother Land, you know what I'm saying? Put your boy on the show!"

The comic book, superhero conversation all came about because during a match earlier this month, Kofi brought out a Thor hammer and wowed the crowd with it.

The 14-time WWE tag team champ showed it off -- and then beat the hell out of his opponent with it ... drawing huge cheers from the audience.

The scene was awesome -- and Kofi said he's desperately trying to replicate it on a Marvel project going forward.

"Look, man, there's a lot of us that are Marvel fans," Kofi said, "myself, Woods and E, your boys -- The New Day -- would love to be in a Marvel movie."

"We put things out into the universe and then we pray for the most positive. It's all about putting yourself out there."

Michael B. Jordan is one step closer to unloading his multi-million dollar estate ... because he's found a buyer.

Real estate sources say Michael has accepted an offer for his bachelor pad in the Hollywood Hills, which he listed back in March for just under $7 million.

The pad is 4,800 square feet with 3 bedrooms ... and it's got all the bells and whistles, including a 50-foot pool, hot tub, waterfall, outdoor kitchen, wood-burning pizza oven and a movie theater.

The master suite is decked out with a fireplace, walk-in closet, sitting area and a balcony. And, get this ... there's even a yoga loft!

Michael bought the place back in 2019 in an off-market deal from Daisy Fuentes for $5.8 mil ... our sources say he's selling because he recently bought a new home in L.A.

The neighborhood is littered with celebs ... including Lady Gaga, Robert Pattinson and Niall Horan.

Letitia Wright is still part of the 'Black Panther' franchise despite her anti-vax controversy and rumors she wouldn't be in the sequel ... and she's already filming scenes.

Letitia and Danai Gurira were on location this weekend at MIT campus in Cambridge, MA shooting scenes for the upcoming movie, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

The duo was in full costume, chatting in between scenes as they leaned up against a black sports car.

The pics put to bed speculation Letitia was getting left out of the sequel in the wake of her recent controversy.

Remember ... she was accused of being an anti-vaxxer just this past December, and folks wondered if there was bad blood between her and Marvel, or perhaps Disney at large.

As we reported ... rumblings Letitia was being left behind grew louder last month, when Michaela Coel joined the cast for the sequel.

"Black Panther" star Letitia Wright says she was just trying to raise her concerns about a potential coronavirus vaccine by sharing a video made by a vaccine skeptic ... but she raised a major controversy instead.

Wright, who plays T'Challa's sister, Shuri, got a ton of backlash after posting a link to a baseless anti-vaxxer video Thursday night on Twitter ... and then tweeting her apparent support of its message.

In the vid, the presenter questions the safety and efficacy of vaccines in general, and gives fact-free opinions on what's possibly in the COVID-19 vaccine and why it could be dangerous. Letitia included the prayer hands emoji with her post.

Soon afterward, she began engaging angry Twitter users who called her out for spreading misinformation ... and explaining it away by claiming she was just asking questions.

After some more arguing, she tweeted ... "if you don’t conform to popular opinions. but ask questions and think for yourself....you get cancelled."

Don Cheadle, a fellow MCU star, got involved in the online war of words because angry fans tagged him about Wright's tweets -- and after watching parts of the vid she posted ... he seemed pretty upset with her himself.

He wrote ... "jesus... just scrolled through. hot garbage. every time i stopped and listened, he and everything he said sounded crazy and fkkkd up. i would never defend anybody posting this. but i still won't throw her away over it."

Wright has since backtracked a little from the message in the anti-vaxxer vid, and tweeted a half-apology Friday morning.

NBA star Markelle Fultz is taking Wakanda Forever literally ... he just got a foot-long image of the Black Panther tattooed on his thigh -- and it's AMAZING!!

TMZ Sports has learned back in the summer, Fultz hit up "Ink Master" star Roly T-Rex about getting some ink done.

And, with Chadwick Boseman's death and the Black Lives Matter movement at its peak ... the two got to thinking a "Black Panther" piece would be perfect.

According to Roly T-Rex, the artwork -- featuring a stern Black Panther surrounded by lightning -- embodied BLM's message and paid tribute to the late Boseman ... so Fultz was all about it.

The Orlando Magic star was able to sit for the needle sesh this week ... and Roly tells us everything went great.

The piece -- which is about 12-13 inches tall -- took roughly five hours to complete ... and Roly says Fultz was "ecstatic" at its finished result.

"He loved it, man," said Roly, who also does tattoo work for Fultz's Magic teammate, Aaron Gordon. "He loves the tat."

The late Chadwick Boseman put his John Hancock on a copy of the first "Black Panther" comic -- which has skyrocketed in value, and is primed to fetch a pretty penny at auction.

Nate D. Sanders Auctions is putting the rare autographed book up for grabs on Oct. 29, with the opening bid starting at $8,000 -- but it's expected, we're told, to reach anywhere in the ballpark of $25k when it's all said and done.

The reason ... other than Chadwick's signature, Stan Lee himself signed this variant of 'BP' #1, not to mention 'Black Panther' director Ryan Coogler. So, yeah, there's a trifecta thing happening here -- and with Chadwick's recent passing, and Stan's in 2018 ... the comic is worth even more now.

You might notice the cover is different from the OG cover of the first stand-alone "Black Panther" comic from 1976 -- from which this iteration is derived, but with a modern cover. It's also vastly changed from Black Panther's first appearance ever in Fantastic Four #52 ('66).

The one for sale is the Middle East Comic-Con variant -- which got its own art whipped up and featured Stan next to T'Challa. For those of you in the know ... It's been certified a 9.8 rating with the CGC Signature Series rating system. That means it's REALLY valuable.

Now this is cool -- a moving Chadwick Boseman mural, showing the late Marvel star giving the Wakanda salute to an adoring young fan wearing a "Black Panther" mask.

The powerful artwork by Nikkolas Smith was unveiled Thursday in Downtown Disney outside Disneyland in Anaheim ... and it's a fitting tribute to Chadwick's legacy in a number of ways.

Nikkolas calls the mural his "King Chad" tribute and says ... "It is a full circle moment for me: my final two projects as a Disney Imagineer last summer were working on the Children’s Hospital project and the Avengers Campus."

The child in the mural appears to be wearing a hospital gown. As you know, Chadwick spent a lot of time visiting young cancer patients, even as he silently battled colon cancer.

Nikkolas adds, "To millions of kids, T'Challa was a legend larger than life, and there was no one more worthy to fill those shoes than Chadwick Boseman."

Since his death last month, Chadwick's continued to inspire fans ... especially kids who've been moved to create their own tributes to their hero, and this new mural captures that spirit.

Like Nikkolas says ... "This one is special."