Marvel has unexpectedly revealed a Black Panther animated spin-off that's rumored to make its Disney Plus debut in 2024.
Initially announced during a special screening of What If...? season 2 and later confirmed in a Disney press release, Marvel revealed that Eyes of Wakanda would join the studio's animation back catalog in the not-too-distant future.
Marvel declined to provide many more details about its next Black Panther project, the announcement of which comes over a year after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debuted in theaters. The Disney subsidiary has only confirmed that Eyes of Wakanda would eventually launch on Disney Plus, before providing a brief plot synopsis, which reads: "Throughout Wakandan history, brave warriors have been tasked to travel the world retrieving dangerous vibranium artifacts. This is their story."
I saw the footage of Marvel’s Black Panther show EYES OF WAKANDA with my own eyes at the event! The animation is different than #WhatIf, closer to Pixar. I think there might be a Black Panther? It went by so quick I was too excited to remember honestly. It looks incredible! pic.twitter.com/YhLeEZHEWXDecember 12, 2023
Eyes of Wakanda is the first official confirmation we've received about a number of supposedly in-development Black Panther side projects. Ahead of Wakanda Forever's release in November 2022, there were reports that a live-action Midnight Angels series, which would star Danai Gurira's Okoye, was in the works. There was also talk of a standalone Namor movie, but the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cast exclusively told TechRadar they had no clue about those spin-off rumors.
The second Black Panther film's final scene also set up the possibility of a third movie in the superhero's film series, but Marvel hasn't publicly greenlit one. You can read our Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ending and post-credits scene explained article for more details about what might be on the way if and when another flick is revealed.
Eyes of Wakanda isn't the only official Black Panther-adjacent production in development for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), mind you. Ironheart, a Marvel Phase 5 TV show, is expected to release on Disney Plus sometime in 2025, despite principal photography being completed in November 2022. Indeed, a US Copyright Office leak, which also suggested that Daredevil: Born Again won't debut until 2025, appeared to indicate that Ironheart won't launch until September 2025 – almost three years after filming wrapped.
Eyes on the prize for 2024?
So Eyes of Wakanda is on the way to Disney Plus, but when can MCU fans expect to see it debut on one of the world's best streaming services?
According to multiple outlets, including Comicbookmovie.com and Disney fan website The Boardwalk Times, Eyes of Wakanda is supposedly set to arrive next year. However, Reddit user NR_John, who attended last night's (December 11) What If...? season 2 screening, said Marvel didn't confirm a 2024 launch for Eyes of Wakanda; so the short answer is we don't know when it'll be released.
There's every chance Eyes of Wakanda could arrive in 2024, especially if Marvel has been working on it for a long time and it's ready to launch sometime next year. However, Marvel only recently confirmed its 2024 Disney Plus lineup, with three shows – Echo, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, and X-Men '97 – due out over the next 12 months. It would be strange, then, if Marvel added Eyes of Wakanda to its TV slate at the last minute, even given the studio's penchant for regularly updating its movie and TV show release schedule.
We've reached out to Disney and Marvel for comment on Eyes of Wakanda's rumored launch window, and we'll update this article if we hear back.
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