Major spoilers follow for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has leaped into theaters, officially bringing the curtain down on Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Well, from a movie standpoint anyway: Disney Plus’ Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will officially close out Phase 4 in late November.
As emotionally raw and wonderfully triumphant as it is, though – check out our spoiler-free Black Panther: Wakanda Forever review for more – there are some Black Panther 2 story threads left dangling by the time the credits roll.
Below, we ponder the seven biggest questions surrounding the MCU Phase 4 film, including where Black Panther could pop up next and how this movie potentially sets up the Thunderbolts, one of the Marvel Phase 5 movies. Full spoilers for Wakanda Forever follow, so proceed at your own risk, or go and watch Wakanda Forever first.
1. Who will be Black Panther in the future?
Let’s start off with the most obvious question. In Wakanda Forever, Shuri becomes the new Black Panther. However, she only dons the vibranium-laced supersuit (and ingests the synthetic heart-shaped herb to gain superpowers) to kill Namor. Shuri decides to let Namor live when her mother – Queen Regent Ramonda – appears to Shuri in an Ancestral Plane vision and convinces her not to murder him.
Instead, the superhero movie’s ending – read our Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ending and post-credits scene explained article for more – suggests that one of three Wakandans could be the African Kingdom’s new protector-in-chief.
Shuri is the most obvious candidate, but it appears she won’t be the permanent successor. Shuri is primed to be Wakanda’s new queen, combining her royal duties with her previous role as the nation’s chief inventor. Meanwhile, M’Baku takes Shuri’s place at her Black Panther coronation event, which muddies the waters. He calls on one of Wakanda’s other tribespeople to face him in ritual combat, which is usually how the new Black Panther is chosen. So, does this mean M’Baku will wear the superhero’s suit in Shuri’s absence?
If that’s the case, what about Toussaint, T’Challa and Nakia’s secret son, who is the real heir to Wakanda’s throne? He’s only a child, so it’ll be a while before he follows in his father’s footsteps to become Wakanda’s new superhuman monarch. Although, if Marvel employs another time jump somewhere between Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, we could see a teenage Toussaint pick up the Black Panther mantle in Marvel’s Phase 6 slate.
Basically, we’ll have to see what Marvel’s plans are for Black Panther’s movie series before we find out who Wakanda’s next hero is. Speaking of the character’s film franchise…
2. Will there be a Black Panther 3?
We should see a third Black Panther movie at some point. An end card reading “Black Panther will return” appears after Wakanda Forever’s second batch of credits has rolled.
That doesn’t mean Black Panther 3 is a formality. As we mentioned, the character could feature in Marvel’s next two Avengers movies or make a cameo in Ironheart’s standalone show on Disney Plus. But, considering how much money 2018’s Black Panther made globally (not to mention it earned Marvel Studios its first Best Picture Oscar nomination), and the huge sums of cash Wakanda Forever is expected to make, we’d be amazed if Black Panther 3 isn’t announced sooner rather than later.
It’s not known if Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote and directed both Black Panther movies and is executive producing Ironheart’s TV series, will be back. Speaking to Variety, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed he’d held “conversations” with Coogler about Black Panther 3, but nothing is set in stone. In the same article, Coogler refused to confirm if he’d return, saying he has “no idea” what his next directorial project will be. Here’s hoping Black Panther 3 factors into his future once his producing work on Creed III, Scenes for Minors, Underrated, and more is over.
3. Who is Lake Bell’s character in Wakanda Forever?
One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Black Panther 2’s cast is who Lake Bell (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, BoJack Horseman) is playing.
Unfortunately, Bell’s MCU character is still an enigma. Wakanda Forever’s credits sequence only reveals she portrays a scientist called Doctor Graham, so it’s unclear how this individual really fits into the wider MCU, if at all.
There had been rumors that Bell had been cast as Lucia von Bardas. In the comics, von Bardas becomes Prime Minister of Latveria after iconic supervillain Doctor Doom – Latveria’s leader and the Fantastic Four’s archnemesis – is deposed.
If this is who Bell is really playing in the MCU (Doctor Graham could be an alias), von Bardas has undergone a character transformation, instead working as a scientist/mercenary trying to plunder Talokan’s vibranium. It also adds another connection between Doom and Wakanda; the fan-favorite antagonist already having ties to Namor – Black Panther 2’s primary antagonist – in Marvel’s source material.
4. Will Namor appear in the MCU again?
There’s nothing official, but we suspect a Namor or Talokan spin-off project will be revealed at some stage.
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar, Alex Livinalli and Mabel Cadena – who portray Talokanil characters Attuma and Namora in the movie – confirmed they haven’t heard anything about a possible Namor movie or TV show. However, based on where Black Panther 2 leaves Namor, Talokan, and the Talokanil – plus Marvel fans’ delight at seeing this Mesoamerican-inspired, ocean-dwelling race in the MCU – it seems inevitable that we’ll see Namor and company again.
There are numerous ways Talokan can be incorporated into the MCU, even if a solo Namor production isn’t forthcoming. The Talokanil might play a supporting role in Black Panther 3. They could be an antagonistic force in another Wakanda Forever spin-off. Given Namor’s comic book ties to Doom, he could even cameo in Marvel’s Fantastic Four reboot. Heck, he’s the MCU’s first official mutant, so why not introduce him to others of his kind in Deadpool 3 or an MCU X-Men movie (if one is ever greenlit)? What we’re saying, Marvel, is give us more Tenoch Huerta as Namor, please.
5. Are there more vibranium-rich nations in the MCU?
When Namor teaches Shuri about Talokan’s origins, we learn the underwater realm contains vast reserves of vibranium. As Shuri later posits, this must mean another vibranium-infused meteorite crash-landed in Latin America alongside the one that arrived in Wakanda. Subsequently, the celestial objects enriched the surrounding flora and rocks with their power, giving rise to the heart-shaped herb in both locations and turning the nations into world superpowers.
This opens up numerous possibilities for more vibranium-rich locations and vibranium-adjacent metals to be introduced in the MCU.
In Marvel comics, Anti-Metal – also known as Antarctic vibranium – has the ability to liquefy nearby metals, making it a potentially formidable tool if it falls into the wrong hands. This material is found in an Antarctic region known as the Savage Lands, which was teased in a multiversal montage in Doctor Strange 2.
Other vibranium-like metals exist in Marvel’s source material. Reverbium is an artificial variant created after most of the world’s vibranium is rendered inert. Could another world superpower, such as the US, create this in the MCU to acquire their own vibranium-like material?
Maybe Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine will have something to do with its formation. After all, she cameos in Wakanda Forever and tells Everett Ross that she dreams of the US finding its own vibranium-esque metal. If she has a hand in Reverbium’s MCU creation, we’d be surprised if it isn’t fashioned into weapons and armor for the Thunderbolts film, where Valentina is set to appear next.
Meanwhile, a vibranium offshoot called Living Vibranium – a semi-sentient compound – was discovered by the Dora Milaje in the comics, which leads us nicely onto…
6. Who are the Midnight Angels? And will they get their own spin-off?
In the comics, the Midnight Angels are a subdivision of the Dora Milaje. The latter are bodyguards to Wakanda’s royal family, but the Midnight Angels are a strike team (comprising the army's best warriors) who conduct covert missions for the African nation.
Like Ironheart and Namor, the Midnight Angels make their MCU bow in Wakanda Forever. Right now, there are only two of them – Okoye and Aneka. Even so, this pair can form the basis for a Midnight Angels Disney Plus show or Special Presentation: a project that would work extremely well if they were the ones who discover Living Vibranium in the MCU.
Marvel hasn’t confirmed a Midnight Angels production yet. However, Coogler is believed to be working on another Wakanda spin-off project. Some MCU fans think this will be a Midnight Angels-based property – and we’d like to see that happen. Danai Gurira, who plays Okoye, deserves her own MCU project at this point and Michaela Coel’s Aneka was underused in Black Panther 2. Seeing these two characters work as a unit and interact further would make for a funny and compelling production.
Incidentally, in Marvel’s source material, the Midnight Angels also have a history with Doctor Doom – the former pursuing the latter when he steals all of Wakanda’s vibranium. So, with that in mind…
7. What Marvel Phase 5 and 6 projects could Wakanda Forever set up?
We’ve already covered some of them. Black Panther 2 is the jumping-off point for Ironheart’s TV show. Meanwhile, it should set up a Midnight Angels project, the MCU’s first Fantastic Four movie, and a possible Namor production. It could also tie into the Thunderbolts film, given Valentina’s role in both movies, and we’d be amazed if Black Panther (whoever that is) isn’t part of the Avengers lineup for Avengers 5 and 6.
What about Captain America: New World Order? The addendum to Cap’s fourth solo movie might indicate some form of tie-in to Black Panther 2, especially if Valentina a) is secretly part of its cast, and b) her yearning for the US to have its own vibranium-like resource is tied to whatever the “New World Order” tag means.
Captain America 4 arrives in theaters two months before Thunderbolts, so Marvel could link all three movies together, with Valentina serving as the connective tissue between them. Sam Wilson's Cap already has a working relationship with Wakanda, too – his suit is partly made of vibranium – so Black Panther 2 setting up Cap 4's plot would also tie these projects together.
From the TV side, we wouldn’t expect Black Panther 2 to have an effect on Marvel’s non-Ironheart shows apart from Secret Invasion. Everett Ross is set to cameo in the Nick Fury-starring series, billed as Marvel’s first crossover show, so it might feature some callbacks or some form of geopolitical fallout based on Wakanda Forever’s ending.
What If…? season 2 could feature an episode where Shuri kills Namor and causes an all-out war between Wakanda and Talokan. Alternatively, Namor could kill Shuri and wage his own conquest of the surface world, which he planned to do in Black Panther 2. File this one under ‘unlikely’, though, as Marvel should have had season 2’s episodes locked in months ago. Other forthcoming MCU TV shows, including Loki season 2, shouldn’t be affected by Wakanda Forever.
For more Marvel-based content, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Alternatively, read up on the best Disney Plus shows, which include some MCU TV shows, or learn where we ranked Wakanda Forever in our best Marvel movies list.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is out in theaters worldwide now.
