As Marvel Studios commences production on Black Panther 2 Wakanda Forever, more details have emerged about what fans can expect from the sequel. Iconic director Ryan Coogler is back in the director’s seat for another run. Coogler, who returns with the creative crew from the first movie has expressed his desire to do a T’challa origin story and explore the history of past Black Panthers. “I’d be really interested to see, you know, what kind of king he is with experience and how that affects his performance in the stories,” said Coogler.
However, with the tragic demise of star actor Chadwick Boseman in 2020 (Rest in Peace King), Marvel had to consequently put sequel plans on hold and late last year, Marvel CEO Kevin Feige announced that the studio will not be recasting T’challa or using CGI either. Marvel Vice President Victoria Alonso explained further in an interview last year. “There’s only one Chadwick Boseman and he’s not with us,” said Marvel Studios’ EVP Victoria Alonso.
“Our king, unfortunately, has died in real life, not just in fiction, and we are taking a little time to see how we return to history and what we do to honour this chapter of what has happened to us that was so unexpected, so painful, so terrible, really.”
Wakanda Forever’s Plot
However, production is back on track, and filming is set to begin in Atlanta this July and last for up to six months. This has consequently pushed the release date of the sequel further to July 8, 2022. There have been speculations on who the next Black Panther would be since King T’challa is expected to pass away – somehow, but Kevin Feige has hinted on a possible path the sequel could take.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Feige said, “Towards the end of the movie, T’Challa takes the herb again and encounters his father, where he’s like, ‘Hey, man. We’ve kind of screwed up, and I want to change it’. Further explaining, “There’s that moment where all of the ancestors come behind T’Chaka. We would joke and go, ‘I want to see… what’s their story? What’s that story? Who was Bashenga, the first king of Wakanda? Who’s that third to the left, behind T’Chaka? What was their story in Wakanda in 1938? That would be cool.”
It all starts as conversations like that. The more audiences want to see these stories, the more opportunities we have to explore different places and times.
Other members of the Black Panther cast are confirmed to be returning to their roles while Letitia Wright’s Shuri is expected to take on a more prominent role. It has also been reported that Tenoch Huerta (Narcos: Mexico) is being cast in an undisclosed role as one of the villains and Martin Freeman will reprise his role as CIA agent Everett Ross.
There have been speculations on social media, with fans suggesting who they think will ascend the throne. Popular Youtuber Erik Voss, came up with a pretty interesting plot which would see Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), M’Baku (Winston Duke) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) work together as a new Black Panther trio of some sort.
Who Is The New Black Panther?
However, in a recent exclusive report, FandomWire has revealed that there will be a tussle for the throne and Shuri will emerge as the next Black Panther.
Although Shuri has taken on the Black Panther mantle in the comics, many fans don’t think she (Letitia Wright) possesses the charisma needed to bring the character to life on the big screens. However, with her genius IQ and comic lines, it’ll be exciting to see how she leaves her mark on the Black Panther franchise. The report also confirmed that the opening scene of the sequel will pay tribute to Chadwick Black Panther by featuring T’challa briefly in costume. The specifics of the scene will be determined by director Ryan Coogler.
The sequel has been titled Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever and as the name implies is going to explore the wealth and history of Wakanda. Except there are further postponements, Black Panther 2 is set to be released on July 8, 2022. Four Marvel movies will be released in 2022; Black Panther 2 will be released after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (March 25). Thor: Love and Thunder (May 6) and Captain Marvel 2 (Nov 11), are also scheduled for release. Captain Marvel 2 has been officially entitled The Marvels.
