Cathartic as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever might have been, the film introduced a wrinkle that’s been nagging at fans since 2022. The real-life passing of actor Chadwick Boseman forced director Ryan Coogler and his cast to pivot in a very different direction for the Black Panther sequel, pushing Letitia Wright’s Shuri to take on the eponymous mantle. Her journey to live up to the superhero name — and the legacy of her brother, T’Challa (Boseman) — was hard-won, but it made for an excellent story. By the time the credits rolled, Marvel’s Cinematic Universe had a new Black Panther worthy of the title... but the last-minute introduction of T’Challa’s secret son, Toussaint, pulled the rug out from under Shuri and anyone looking forward to more adventures with her as the Black Panther.
Toussaint’s very existence all but confirmed Marvel’s plan for the mantle: Shuri was likely only an interim Black Panther, and would have to pass on the duties to her nephew eventually. That said, Toussaint was just a kid when he appeared in Wakanda Forever, so logically, it’d be some years before he’d be old enough to leap into the line of fire. Unfortunately, the MCU is not really a place for logic. It’s been four years since Wakanda Forever, and though we haven’t seen Shuri in action in all that time, her days as the Black Panther are already numbered.
