Black Pantherwas a special film for Marvel Studios, it broke significant barriers not only for the way it portrayed African culture thanks to Wakanda’s unique comic book setting but at the same time for the many milestones it clinched. To this day,Black Pantherstands tall as the highest-grossing MCU movie not featuring the entire Avengers team fully assembled.
When Chadwick Boseman lost his hard-fought battle with cancer, director Ryan Coogler said goodbye both to his leading man and a close friend, however, his decision to stay on board forBlack Panther 2is the best way to honor the legacy of a man that kept working througha prolific acting streak despite his disease. With that in mind, perhaps Coogler can take some notes from Disney’s most recent Marvel hit,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, so Boseman’s successor can be put on a better path to follow in his footsteps.
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Just likeBlack Pantherdid in 2018,The Falcon and the Winter Soldierbroke ground tointroduce the world to its first black Captain America, yet the most meaningful moments in the series weren’t felt in the reveal itself. Instead, it was all about the events that preceded it which made Sam Wilson’s decision to suit up in star and stripes much more convincing.
For all intents and purposes, King T’Challa is irreplaceable. This is something both Disney and Coogler have acknowledged by confirming thatBoseman will not be recast nor digitally recreated, so writers will have to make up for that with a clever plot because, as Sam Wilson would say, theBlack Panthersymbol is nothing without the men and woman that give meaning to it.
Viewers might be more forgiving of how Boseman’s passing is addressed on-screen since this was something completely out of the producers’ hands, but an emotional yet smooth transition of power is key for theBlack Pantherfranchise to keep all of its shine. While there are many characters that have assumed theBlack Pantheridentity in the comics, none of them stand out as much as T’Challa’s sister Shuri, who was an absolute hit in the first movie and provides writers with just the right background to come up with an impactful journey.
IfThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierdealt with the state of the world afterEndgame, thenBlack Panther 2will do the same for a nation that’s just lost its king.Wakanda is an interesting enough placeto deserve its own series and the political ramifications T’Challa’s absence will throw at it could easily makeCivil Warlook like children’s play. After all, Okoye’s husband W’Kabi did take part in an attempt to overthrow his king; Nakia’s allegiances seemed closer to T’Challa rather than the throne; and even M’Baku has always wanted that heart-shaped herb for himself.
Just like his father before him, T’Challa kept order in Wakanda, one so delicate it could quickly be brought downby outsiders like Killmonger. In all reality, Shuri’s journey inBlack Panther 2should reflect her own struggles to find her place in a world where she is all alone now, how she can keep Wakanda together just like the men in her family used to, and whether she can recruit the same allies to her cause.
Shuri’s comic book personality features many of the traits she exhibits in the MCU with one glaring difference. Marvel Comics’ Shuri does face one huge setback when she’s about to replace T’Challa. The panther god Bast deems her as not worthy of granting her superpowers because of the jealousy she’s always had towards her brother, which is deeply rooted in the way she’s treated as King T’Chaka’s female heir.
In that regard, Shuri’s story could be the perfect blank canvas to introduce a female superhero that’s not quite there yet, just like the upcomingBlack Widowplans to take a trip back to Natasha Romanoff’s past orthe same wayWandaVisionturned the Scarlet Witchinto an even more powerful Avenger. For all her worth, Carol Danvers is still an almighty being from the day she was born, she could never carry across the same type of relatable struggle becauseCaptain Marvelis in a league or her own.
Although Tenoch Huerta may be joiningBlack Panther 2as one of the movie’s potential villains, and even if Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger showed what a good villain can do to make a protagonist evolve and grow past his initial self, the movie could borrow a page fromThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier’splaybook. Both Bucky and Sam evolve a lot during the series thanks to their interactions with each other, but also due to what they learn from watching the world around them and each other. It’s Isaiah Bradley, Sam’s sister, Bucky’s therapist, and Mr. Nakajima who make the two heroes realize how they must change their lives to become better versions of their superhero selves.The Falcon’s and the Winter Soldier’smany villainsalso feed that process, but even they have their own share of problems.
Characters like Nakia, Okoye, M’Baku, and Ayo are all channels that allow for a more thorough exploration of Wakanda’s society, something that is badly needed for audiences to attach themselves to the process of a newBlack Pantherarising. The political aftermath of T’Challa’s death should lead to new faces trying to claim that power, and whoever is to take his place has to do so under circumstances that lead to their coronation being the ultimate payoff.
BothThe Falcon and the Winter SoldierandWandaVisioncould have introduced a new era for the MCU. Maybe Phase Four starts to make things more personal for all of its heroes.Black Panther 2should be no exception to this. The entire cast is brimming with potential and succeeding Chadwick Boseman is in itself an emotional journey for many fans already.
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