Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022. With Chadwick Boseman’s passing, the Marvel Cinematic Universe lacked a Black Panther, yet director Ryan Coogler found a way to honor his friend and collaborator while setting Wakanda up for its next chapter. King T’Challa won’t be recast in the MCU; instead, his younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) will take over his duties as the new Black Panther. Ideally, she’ll get more chances in the future, especially with Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon. Still, despite the potential teased in Wakanda Forever, not everyone is convinced Shuri will stay on as the MCU’s new Panther.
Recasting rumors have swirled around future Black Panther films for years, with some naming F1 star Damson Idris as the new T’Challa — possibly from another universe. Others claimed Idris would play an aged-up version of T’Challa’s young son, Toussaint, who was introduced at the end of Wakanda Forever. Either way, fans don’t seem to appreciate the Black Panther they already have. Shuri deserves the chance to make the mantle her own, and the franchise needs some stability. Fortunately, Doomsday directors Anthony and Joe Russo may agree… at least, according to the latest leaked teaser for the upcoming film.
With Doomsday less than a year away, Marvel has started ramping up promotion for the new film. Four trailers are set to play before Avatar: Fire & Ash, and the fourth and final trailer is rumored to focus on two major groups: the people of Wakanda and the Fantastic Four. Wakanda seems to be uniting with the aquatic nation of Talokan and its leader, Namor (Tenoch Huerta), against the threat of Doctor Doom, with the Fantastic Four arriving in their ship to help.
“I’ve lost everyone that matters to me,” Shuri apparently in the trailer. “The King has his duties: to prepare our people for the afterlife. I have mine.”
Dressed for battle, Shuri will reportedly board the Fantastic Four’s ship alongside Ben Grimm, aka the Thing (Ebon Moss Bachrach). It sounds like she’s heading straight into the action while her lieutenant, M’Baku (Winston Duke), will likely stay behind to defend Wakanda. All this points to an exciting, more prominent role for Shuri in the upcoming film. For a story about the multiverse, time travel, and incursions, there’s every chance we could see another Black Panther at some point — maybe even one played by Damson Idris. But if these rumors are right, Shuri will remain the Black Panther of the Sacred Timeline, fighting with the other Avengers to save the universe.