Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made the best of an unimaginable situation in 2022. With the passing of Chadwick Boseman, Marvel’s Cinematic Universe was without a Black Panther, but director Ryan Coogler found a way to bid farewell to his friend and collaborator, all while setting the realm of Wakanda up for its next phase. King T’Challa won’t be recast in the MCU; instead, his younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) will take on his duties as the next Black Panther. Ideally, she’ll get more opportunities in the future, especially with Avengers: Doomsday around the corner. Despite all the potential teased in Wakanda Forever, though, not everyone seems convinced that Shuri is here to stay as the MCU’s new Panther.
Rumors of recasting have swirled around the future Black Panther films for years, with the prevailing theory naming F1 star Damson Idris as the new T’Challa — perhaps from another universe. Others claimed that Idris would play an aged-up version of T’Challa’s young son, Toussaint, who was introduced at the end of Wakanda Forever. Either way, fans don’t seem to appreciate the Black Panther they’ve already been given. Shuri deserves the chance to make the mantle her own, and the franchise deserves some stability. Fortunately, Doomsday directors Anthony and Joe Russo might just agree... at least, according to the latest teaser leak for the upcoming film.
