Black Panther is one of the best-reviewed movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s about a hidden African nation filled with technological advances even Tony Stark would be jealous of. The Black Panther is the monarch and protector of Wakanda. In the original movie, T’Challa took up the mantle and swore to protect his nation. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever the mantle passes on to another.
This is unfortunately due to Chadwick Boseman’s passing in 2020. It’s a death that’s still felt around the world and it seems this Black Panther sequel is in memory of that great man. It’s unclear who takes up the mantle but we know it won’t be T’Challa. After his passing, Marvel ruled out the possibility of recasting as a mark of respect for Chadwick Boseman’s legacy.
At San Diego Comic Con we saw the first footage from the upcoming monumental movie. Today, a new trailer has been released and you can watch it below:
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduces a new antagonist in the guise of Namor. Comicbook fans know him as Namor the Submariner. In the comics, he is the leader of Atlantis, the underwater kingdom. However, the movie is changing up the kingdom’s mythology. Talocan is the new name for Namor’s home. It’s taken from the Aztec paradise Tlālōcān.
One of the reasons for the change is to stop the comparisons with DC’s Aquaman’s Atlantis. It also provides Marvel with an opportunity to go deeper into representation and tell a more interesting story. While Namor appears to be the antagonist, he isn’t an outright villain. Namor actor Tenoch Huerta even confirms his character is an anti-hero.
It makes sense considering Namor only wants to protect his people. After surface dwellers spent years dumping their rubbish into his home, it only makes sense for him to retaliate. The actor recently also confirmed Namor is a mutant. With several mutants already introduced this past year in the MCU, the X-Men won’t be far away.
The trailer also shows the introduction of Riri Williams. Her superhero moniker is Ironheart and a show of the same name is coming next year. Dominique Thorne is portraying Riri. We see her building her mark 1 suit, as well as fighting with it. However, we don’t know just how much of a role she plays. Set pictures indicate she may be the catalyst for what goes down.
We also see the new Black Panther. Marvel is keeping it a secret about who’s under the mask. Given it can only be certain characters it’s either Shuri, Okoye or Nakia. That’s also not to say whoever dons the suit during the movie isn’t the same Black Panther by the time the credits roll. Whoever it is has big shoes to fill.
With the two trailers we’ve seen, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks to be another win from Ryan Coogler. It’s been a strange year for Marvel with its divisive movies. Let’s hope Ryan Coogler is the one to change current opinion. Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and Martin Freeman return. Meanwhile, Michaela Coel makes her first appearance in the Marvel universe, along with Tenoch and Dominique.
