MCU Star Says Wakanda Forever Originally Had Two Black Panthers
Letitia Wright revealed that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever originally featured two Black Panthers, calling the change of plans "bittersweet."
After finally donning the suit, Letitia Wright revealed that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever originally included two Black Panthers. In the sequel to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wright's Shuri and her family, as well as the eponymous nation, are grappling with the death of King T'Challa, which coincides with the reality that actor Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer in 2020. death related. After the death of her mother, Angela Bassett's Queen Ramonda, and the impending war with Namor and Taloqan of Tenoch Huerta, Shuri was able to recreate the heart-shaped herb and use it to become Wakanda The new Black Panther, succeeding her late brother, though that wasn't always the intention.
Appearing on the Empire Films Podcast, Letitia Wright publicly stated her intention to become Wakanda's new protector in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The MCU star confirmed that not only had Shuri always planned to have her own suit, but that the recently released sequel originally included both Black Panthers as well as her and T'Challa, though that changed after Chadwick Boseman's death. Check out what Wright shared below:
It was bittersweet. Shuri was always gonna do it. But it was gonna be done in a different way where her brother was gonna be alongside her, really explore that, like the comic books, the ways that T'Challa and Shuri would be Black Panther alongside each other and try to figure out how to defend their nation. But unfortunately that's not how it panned out. I knew the responsibility, I knew the weight of it, but it was just bittersweet, something I struggled with a lot. But I'm extremely proud of myself, had great support.
Could Multiple Black Panthers Still Happen In The Future?
Various theories were circulating among MCU fans about multiple Black Panthers being included in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ahead of the movie's release Filling in the void left by Boseman's T'Challa, all of which primarily suggest that Wright's Shuri is at least one of them. Shuri makes the most sense given the circumstances in the Marvel Comics, while viewers debate whether Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia, Danai Gurira's Okoye, or Winston Duke's M'Baku would also wear the suit. Early Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailers memorably kept the new hero's identity a secret, though Shuri's gloves and svelte physique led many to rightly believe she would be Wakanda's new protector .
While Shuri ends up being the only Black Panther in the film, questions remain about whether the future of the MCU will see multiple incarnations of the hero. Given that Shuri was able to recreate the Heart Herb using an herb from Talocan at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the door is open for another to take over the mantle and become Wakanda's protector. This was even teased towards the end of the MCU sequel, as M'Baku attempts to challenge for the throne in Shuri's absence, establishing him as king of Wakanda, thus opening up The door makes him the new Black Panther.
However, while the first film showed that power had to be stripped from the previous suit wearer to meet such a challenge, M'baku's respect for Shuri in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is vice versa, Because both men grieved T'Challa and Ramonda's death could see the former allow the latter to retain her powers and lawsuits. While M'Baku is already a powerful being without Black Panther's abilities, seeing him give up taking the heart shaped herb together and allying with Suri to rule Wakanda together, or having her as its protector while he is theirs ruler. Considering the film also introduced T'Challa's son Toussaint, the MCU's future could feature the entire Black Panther family.
