Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler teases the dynamic between Shuri and Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, in the sequel to the MCU.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Director Ryan Coogler teases the dynamics between Shuri and Riri. Letitia Wright’s Shuri is one of many Black Panther characters returning in the upcoming sequel, along with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira), M’Baku (Winston Duke), and Ramonda (Angela Bassett). After Chadwick Boseman’s death, Shuri’s role in the sequel was expanded, and it is widely believed that T’Challa’s sister will be the one to take on his mantle as the next Black Panther.
Besides the returning cast, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will also introduce some new main characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chief among them is the film’s main villain, Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the king of the Atlantis-like kingdom of Talocan who leads an invasion of Wakanda. Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) comes to the aid of the fictional African nation in the film, a brilliant young inventor who builds armor similar to Tony Stark’s and becomes known as the superhero Ironheart.
During a recent interview with EW about the new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer, Coogler teases the dynamics between two characters who will play major roles in the MCU movie – Shuri and Riri. The director says the sequel has a lot to do with “foils – people who exist in contrast, but there is a common thread of similarity“, which is reflected by the dynamics between the two characters. Read what Coogler said below:
The film deals with many things, but one of them is foils – people who exist in contrast, but there is a common thread of similarity. In this film, we see Shuri meeting someone who has some things in common with her, but who is also very, very different.
How Ironheart matters to the future of the MCU
Of all the new characters introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverRiri is arguably the most important thing for the future of the MCU. After her debut in the sequel, she will star in her own Disney+ series of the same name, iron heart, which will premiere at the end of next year. Since she’s a certified super genius who builds armor similar to Iron Man’s, she could eventually fill the Tony Stark-sized giant void that’s existed in the MCU since Robert Downey Jr.’s beloved character. himself at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Those are certainly some big shoes to fill, though.
Despite her overall importance to the future of the MCU, not much is known specifically about her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, though Coogler’s recent comments are beginning to unravel the mystery. In the MCU movie, Shuri and Riri will have a lot in common as they both follow in the footsteps of beloved heroes – Shuri seemingly as the next Black Panther, and Riri taking on an Iron Man-esque role. The differences between the two characters will become more apparent when: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will premiere in theaters on November 11.
Source: EW
