If it was not already obvious, the Black Panther movie is getting a sequel we can expect to see in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which mean's we'll be spending plenty of time with T'Challa post Avengers: Endgame.
Originally, Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of the King of Wakanda made his first appearance in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, before returning in his solo Black Panther movie in 2018, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide and became an Oscar-nominee for Best Picture. Now that we have seen him fight alongside the Avengers in two movies over the past year, we are anxious to see what is next in store for T’Challa in his homeland.
Speaking of, as of now, there is still very little known in regards to what we can expect. Will we see Heart Shaped Herb regrow? Will Wakanda be equipped with extra security measures meant to keep out large, purple men? Could we see Michael B. Jordan reprise his role as a resurrected Erik Killmonger?
Let's take a peek behind the scenes and between the pages of Marvel comics and see what else we could see from the titular Black Panther and the rest of the Wakandan key figures moving forward. As always, there are some minor spoilers from recent Marvel movies that can be found throughout this piece. Only keep reading on if you are caught up!
Ryan Coogler Directing Black Panther 2
We would proudly make the claim the Black Panther movies are destined for a bright future as long as Ryan Coogler is there to guide them. Thankfully, he is not going away anytime soon.
The young, yet illustrious, movie-making wizard is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to direct his first sequel, a chance he actually opted out of previously, choosing Black Panther over the follow-up to his acclaimed 2015 Rocky spin-off, Creed.
Ryan Coogler has a lot to expand on with the next chapter of his most successful venture yet, following the rise, fall, and rise of T’Challa in battle against Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. There are very few plot details available yet to see what RyanCoogler’s vision will give us in the next film.
Fortunately, as we tend to do as fans, we have come up with a few ideas for him in mind.
T’Challa Is Still The Ruler Of Wakanda
T’Challa never yielded and, as we could see in the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, he is not dead.
Yes, Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa returned to Wakanda after Hulk snapped him back to life with the Avengers’ homemade Infinity Gauntlet to continue his reign as the country's leader and protector. Of course, based on the first post-credits scene in Black Panther, the African nation is due for some big changes.
T’Challa announced to the United Nations that Wakanda would be going public with its super advanced technology and plentiful resources, which has us curious about what sort of sociopolitical commentary Ryan Coogler will use as a jumping-off point in the Black Panther sequel.
My biggest questions regard how T’Challa plans to move forward following the Decimation. The king has five years of absence to make up for and we imagine the newly resurrected Wakandans have a lot of questions about the state of their country in a post-Thanos world. What sort of issues are there left to solve and what changes is Wakanda destined to go through?
Regardless, we are just as excited to see more of T’Challa the leader as we are to see more of T’Challa the Black Panther. However...
T’Challa Is Not The Only Black Panther In The Marvel Universe
Shuri, T’Challa’s sister and princess of Wakanda brought to life by Letitia Wright, has proven herself to be one of the best Black Panther characters as a heroine on the battlefield and in the lab. A brilliant scientist, she has designed many of Wakanda’s most innovative creations, improved her brother’s Black Panther suit with nano technology, and came closer to saving Vision from death by Mind Stone removal in Avengers: Infinity War than Bruce Banner did.
As we have seen in Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame, she can kick butt just as well as her brother. Her comic book persona is no exception, given that Shuri would eventually inherit his title.
When T’Challa suffers critical injuries from battle, Shuri must assume the role of Wakanda’s leader and as the Black Panther, as her brains and brawn have proven her worthy. Currently, we have no way of knowing that such a situation will occur with the Black Panther characters in the sequel, but we would love to see at least a hint about this heading into Phase Four.
Furthermore, given that we have seen a rise in more female-centric films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the success Captain Marvel and the anticipation for Scarlett Johansson’s solo Black Widow movie, we would not be surprised to see Shuri get her own moment in the spotlight.
A Fun Idea For The Next Black Panther Villain
There has been much speculation over who T’Challa will face off against in the Black Panther movies moving forward, particularly in Black Panther 2.
Rumors say Michael B. Jordan might reprise his role as Black Panther villain Kilmonger (somehow). There have been reports that Ryan Koogler has spoken to Donald Glover about appearing in the film, perhaps as his Spider-Man: Homecoming character if we don’t want to mess with continuity. There is even support for Black Panther soundtrack producer Kendrick Lamar to be the bad guy.
I may have a better idea.
Black Panther has fought many adversaries throughout the Marvel universe in the comics, among them is the ruthless Latverian leader Victor Von Doom. Not only does that concept give us the perfect set up for a battle between two warriors of royal authority, but also paves way for another group of superhero favorites to finally make an introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Since Doctor Doom is the archenemy of the Fantastic Four, why not see a team-up between Black Panther and Marvel’s first superhero family? Given the Black Panther character's first appearance was in a Fantastic Four comic, we cannot think of a better way to introduce them into this world now that Disney holds the keys to serve them justice. Still, given rights are still a complicated issue and it may be years before Fox's Marvel characters are shuffled into continuity, this may just be wishful thinking on my part.
Speaking of the Disney taking control of Fox characters…
Could A Future Black Panther Movie See Wakanda Getting A New Queen?
The end of the first Black Panther movie hinted that T’Challa would not rule Wakanda alone, taking Nakia (Lupita N’Yongo) as his wife and queen. Yet, the Wakandan covert operative was absent from both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
So, either she has just been carrying out her royal responsibilities behind the scenes and has yet to return in the Black Panther sequel, or maybe she and T’Challa broke up. While we would love to see the great Lupita Nyong'o reprise her role, if she were to exit the franchise, this would also leave room for another Marvel character to accept the throne.
In the comics, T’Challa befriends and eventually marries Ororo Munroe, better known under her X-Men alias, Storm. The Avenger and the mutant rule hand-in-hand and fight alongside in battle. What better way to kick off the X-Men’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the Disney-Fox merger but with Storm as Queen of Wakanda?
While it may seem like overkill in passing to have the Black Panther sequel as a jumping off point for this many characters to become a part of the MCU (and Dark Phoenix’s Storm actress Alexandra Shipp has already voiced against this idea), to many fans, this would a sweet trip to Nerdvana if at some point during Phase Four the Black Panther universe got a storyline of this ilk.
What would you like to see from Wakanda in future Marvel movies? Let us know in the comments below and be sure check back for more updates here on CinemaBlend. Oh, and Wakanda forever!
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