Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer confirms identity of new Black Panther
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Potential spoilers follow for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The official trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has finally arrived – and it seems to confirm who will be taking on the Black Panther mantle in the highly anticipated sequel.
The second trailer for the superhero movie, which was released on October 3 to coincide with tickets to the upcoming Marvel movie going on sale, gives us a better idea of the magnitude and emotional weight it will carry.
However, it’s the last few seconds of the latest Black Panther 2 trailer that will pique the interest of MCU fans as it seemingly confirms who will be the new protector of the African nation. Check it out below:
Yes, that’s Letitia Wright’s Shuri in the famous superhero suit. Okay, it could be Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia or even Danai Gurira’s Okoye. After all, it is a female character who wears the Black Panther suit.
However, it is the white, speckled pattern on the suit’s headgear that betrays the game. Those spots are the same white face paint marks that adorned Shuri during T’Challa’s funeral procession, which we saw earlier in the first trailer for the Marvel movie. You can also see the marks on Shuri’s face at the 0:22 mark of the latest teaser.
To add even more weight to the fact that Shuri will take on the Black Panther mantle after her brother’s passing, Marvel has also released the official poster for Wakanda Forever. It’s one sheet that puts Shuri front and center, even showing her Black Panther headgear behind her:
#WakandaForever. Nov 11 pic.twitter.com/nKD4YxxOJ3October 3, 2022
It’s clear that Marvel wants to prevent further rumors about the identity of the new Black Panther. It’s possible that this is a bait and switch on the part of the studio, but we’d be very surprised if it was.
There were rumors that Shuri would follow in T’Challa’s footsteps and become the new Black Panther in this MCU Phase 4 project. And with toy leaks over the weekend (1 and 2) suggesting Shuri could be Wakanda’s new hero, it looks like Marvel wouldn’t wait for the film’s release to hold back this surprise.
Speculation about Shuri’s new role arose after reports in late 2021 suggest Winston Duke’s M’Baku would be T’Challa’s actual successor. Unless Wakanda Forever sees multiple characters don the superhero suit, it looks like Shuri will be the new Black Panther. Well, for one movie at least.
It’s a bit of a disappointment that we learned the identity of the new Black Panther in this trailer. Not only would it have made for a crowd-pleasing moment when the superhero movie debuts in theaters, but it also overshadows some other fascinating elements in the teaser.
First, we see Namor making waves (pun intended) using the wings on his mutated feet to navigate the battlefield quickly and immersively. We also gain a much clearer understanding of why Namor and his Tlālōcān people aspire to the surface world, as well as the threat they pose to Wakanda and the wider world.
Plus, we catch a few glimpses of Riri Williams’ Iron Man-style superhero suit, which looks like it will be more than a passing tribute to Tony Stark’s technology. Oh, and M’Baku gives a powerful speech saying that Wakanda must not kill Namor because it risks an “eternal war” between the two nations.
All in all, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks absolutely stunning and is sure to be an extremely moving piece of cinema – and we can’t wait to see it on the largest screen possible. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever launches in theaters worldwide on Friday, November 11.
For more MCU-based content, check out what projects are coming as part of Marvel Phase 5. Or see how we’ve ranked every Marvel movie so far.