Will Shuri be the next Black Panther

Wakanda Forever! Marvel just released a new trailer for its Black Panther sequel, and while it’s full of details from our first look at Ironheart to an extended preview of Namor, the Black Panther 2 trailer saves its biggest surprise for last. In the final moments, we finally get a look at Wakanda’s new protector.

Black Panther 2 trailer breakdown

The first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ended with a glimpse of the title hero, but they were so obscured that all you could see was one leg and one clawed hand from behind. In this new trailer, we get a much better look. In the final shot we see Black Panther drop from above and land in a classic superhero pose. The camera pans up to reveal an unmistakable female form hidden behind the costume and mask.

It seems clear that the new Black Panther is a female character, but who could it be? Let’s break down the possibilities.

Shuri is the new Black Panther

Anti-vax controversies aside, Letitia Wright feels like the obvious choice to replace Chadwick Boseman in the role. Her character, Shuri, is a member of Wakanda’s royal family and T’Challah’s brother, seemingly making her next in line. She’s also basically achieved superhero status in previous movies thanks to her incredible intellect.

A new poster released on October 3 by Marvel also seems to confirm this theory, placing Shuri at the center of the action. Either this is a misdirect, or Black Panther 2 just revealed its title superhero.

Nakia is the new Black Panther

After the first trailer hinted that Lupita Nyong’o was destined for the role, we thought it was a sure thing. This new trailer and poster don’t exactly support that theory, but they don’t disprove it either. Nakia also has the field experience you would need to become the Black Panther, and is sure to play a major role in Wakanda Forever either way.

It’s also possible that multiple characters could take on the mantle in Black Panther 2. What if both Shuri and Nakia inhabit the role at different points in the movie? Speaking of which...

Okoye is the new Black Panther

Played by Danai Gurira, Okoye has the skills to serve as Black Panther. It’s a bit of a stretch, but definitely possible — especially if multiple characters end up wearing the suit in Black Panther 2.

Queen Ramonda is the new Black Panther

This is the biggest stretch of them all, but it’s not impossible. We know that Angela Basset’s character survived the Snap that dusted both T’Challah and Shuri. Is it possible we’re seeing a flashback here to a moment during the Blip when the queen of Wakanda had no choice but to take on the role of Black Panther herself? Either way, it seems extremely unlikely that Black Panther 2 will end with Ramonda crowned as the iconic superhero.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters on November 11.

• Marvel dropped a new trailer for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" on Monday.
• The trailer shows new characters Namor and Ironheart using their abilities.
• It also appears to confirm Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, as the new Black Panther.

Letitia Wright's Shuri appears to have taken the mantle of Black Panther in a new trailer for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

The sequel, which premieres November 11, follows the fictional nation of Wakanda after it loses its king, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), also known as Black Panther, and is attacked by a secret underwater nation.

The new trailer ends by showing a new version of the Black Panther suit, which many fans believe is being used by T'Challa's sister, Shuri. In the comics, Shuri does take on the mantle on multiple occasions.

Boseman, who played T'Challa originally, died on August 28, 2020, following treatment for colon cancer that he was diagnosed with four years earlier.

Last week, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige told Empire that they decided not to recast Boseman because it felt "much too soon."

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ryan Coogler, the director, said that producers changed the plot of the movie to have T'Challa die after Boseman's death to help the cast and crew grieve.

"I started to come up with a film that had elements of the film that we had just finished writing, but also applied the themes that the people who were hurting just as much as me could actually perform and execute and come out on the other side whole," Coogler said.

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