San Diego Comic-Con is in full effect, and Marvel Studios has now dropped the teaser trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the sequel to 2018’s Black Panther starring Chadwick Boseman as the titular character, T’Challa. However, after the star’s death in 2020, and Marvel’s subsequent decision not to recast the character many were left wondering where the franchise would go with the sequel and its other characters.
Wakanda After Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers: Endgame
From the trailer, we can see the supporting cast of the original film–mostly female– coming to the forefront.
Queen Ramanda (Angela Bassett) gives a grand speech about the loss of her family, “I am queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone,” she laments. “Have I not given everything? However, from pain and loss comes rebirth; symbolized in an underwater birth and a country willing to do what it takes to survive and an ominous threat led from the ocean by none other than Namor, The Sub-Mariner, King of Atlantis (played by Tenoch Huerta).
Okoye (Danai Guirira), Wakanda’s greatest warrior, and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), a spy, and T’Challa’s former love interest are seemingly hurting, but hearty and ready for war. Shuri (Letitia Wright) has returned from the blip (what the world calls the erasure of half the universe’s population due to Thanos’s use of The Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War) but is in a state of mourning or stress, as she may be grieving T’Challa, while overwhelmed from the pressure that may come from taking over the throne as the new Queen of Wakanda. Even the Dora Milaje, with Michaela Coel--playing an as-of-yet unidentified character– in their ranks, are fighting for Wakanda.
Wakanda Versus Atlantis
We are not sure what causes the conflict between Wakanda and Atlantis will be in the film. However, in the comics, conflict ensues during a war between the Avengers and X-Men. Namor, empowered by the Phoenix Force drowned Wakanda in a title wave trying to wipe out any Avengers the country was harboring. Subsequently, it led to Black Panther divorcing Storm and later temporarily killing Namor.
This has to be the most beautiful teaser trailer Marvel Studios has ever released! Ryan Coogler is truly one of the greatest directors of our times. We are so happy to see there will be a new Black Panther to assume the mantle. Our bets, however, are on Nakia or M’Baku to take the reigns. One thing for sure is that we are all overjoyed to return to Wakanda, Friday, November 11, 2022!