One of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stars tease that no one has yet guessed who the new Black Panther is in the sequel. Phase 4 is almost over, as Marvel Studios has one more movie in the pipeline before starting Phase 5 in 2023, which will continue The Multiverse Saga. While Phase 4 consisted of new franchises and fleshing out established characters, the final 2022 film will be bittersweet to say the least. As Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Set to open in theaters, it will bid farewell to King T’Challa following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman in August 2020.
Since Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios chose not to recast T’Challa, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will focus heavily on his family dealing with the loss of the MCU hero. While the circumstances have yet to be revealed, Black Panther The sequel will see the kingdom fight for their nation and deal with new threats, including the rise of Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta. As T’Challa’s time in the MCU comes to an end, a new Black Panther will take over for him, which has been shown in both trailers.
Since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever began filming, the main theory was that T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, will take over the mantle. According to two of the stars in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it may not be as easy as some think. In an interview with Elle, Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira, who play Nakia and Okoye respectively, talked about the speculations and theories about who the new Black Panther will be in the sequel. According to Gurira, the spectators don’t get “Everything good”, as she and Nyong’o shared the following:
Nyong’o: “We like the speculation.”
Gurira: “They don’t quite get it!”
Nyong’o: “No, they didn’t guess at all.”
If Shuri isn’t the new Black Panther, who is?
When Gurira suggests that people haven’t figured out the whole mystery yet, it could mean the movie will see more than one Black Panther. If Shuri really isn’t the new Black Panther, the mystery becomes even more interesting because there are many reasons why T’Challa’s sister would be the natural candidate. Not only did Shuri become Black Panther in the comics, but merchandise, including leaked LEGO sets, have strongly suggested that Shuri will be the one to succeed T’Challa. Another character theorized to take on the Black Panther mantle is Nakia, which would also be an intriguing direction.
Since there is only a month to go until Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens globally, it won’t be long before everyone gets their answer, but it will nevertheless excite millions of hearts. Boseman became synonymous with T’Challa, which is why the idea of a recast was tough, being a huge reason for the character’s legacy on the big screen. It doesn’t matter who’s behind the mask, whether it’s Shuri or anyone else, seeing the franchise without Boseman is sure to be challenging. Hopefully, though, they’re coping with T’Challa’s passing? Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverthe sequel will do a solid job of passing the touch and honoring the fallen king’s legacy.
Source: Elle
