(Updated 11/07/2022)
Marvel Studios has never made a movie like BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER. The untimely death of Chadwick Boseman, who rocketed to fame after playing Black Panther, challenged the studio to honor the actor and his most famous character while also continuing the story set in motion in the original movie.
As the new trailer shows, WAKANDA FOREVER directly engages with grief and the loss of an inspirational hero. Here's everything we know about Marvel's sequel to the studio's blockbuster hit.
How Can You Watch Black Panther 2?
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, opens exclusively in movie theatres on November 11, 2022. It will be the third Marvel movie of the year, following the sequels featuring Doctor Strange and Thor.
Watch the Trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The full trailer for WAKANDA FOREVER sets up a nation mourning its king — and suggests that, without T'Challa, others see Wakanda as potentially weak. Its rich resources might be easy to take. Enter Namor, the prince of an undersea kingdom, who takes aim at the leaderless Wakanda.
This trailer also debuts the new Black Panther, as Shuri suits up in mask and armor — and it offers one of the first looks at Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, in her Iron Man-inspired suit.
What Is Wakanda Forever About?
Officially, the plot of WAKANDA FOREVER is "Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda."
That doesn't explain what Ironheart is doing in the trailer, nor does it tell us anything about the new Black Panther, but it sets up everything we really need to know before the movie opens.
Rihanna Returns!
It's been five years since Rihanna released new music, but she has a new song, "Lift Me Up," in BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER. At one point, rumors suggested the movie would feature two new Rihanna songs, but at this point, we can only confirm one. You can see the video just above!
Is There a Black Panther 2 Post-Credits Scene?
Speaking of Rihanna, stick around through her full song at the end of the movie for the one post-credits scene in WAKANDA FOREVER.
Will Killmonger Return?
At this point we don't know! Rumors persisted for years that Killmonger would appear in BLACK PANTHER 2. Those rumors persist, but at this point we don't really expect to see the character in this movie.
Will Shuri Be Black Panther?
Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, was one of the most popular characters in the original BLACK PANTHER. We knew she would return, and after the death of Chadwick Boseman the character was a natural choice to take on the title of Black Panther.
Indeed, the end of the latest WAKANDA FOREVER trailer shows a woman suited up as Black Panther, and the obvious conclusion to draw is that it is Shuri under the suit.
Who's In The Black Panther 2 Cast?
Let's start with the known quantities. As mentioned, Letitia Wright returns as Shuri. Lupita Nyong'o is back as Nakia, and Danai Gurira returns as Okoye. (She would also make a great Black Panther!) Martin Freeman plays Everett K. Ross once again, and Winston Duke reprises the role of M'Baku. Angela Bassett, Florence Kasumba, Isaach de Bankolé, Dorothy Steel, and Danny Sapani are also reportedly returning as well.
Additionally, Dominique Thorne makes her debut as Riri Williams, the young inventor who creates a suit of armor to rival the work of Tony Stark. Ultimately, she's known as Ironheart. Tenoch Huerta debuts as Namor, and rumors say that Lake Bell is in the cast, too.
We also know that Daniel Kaluuya will not return. The actor cited conflicts with the schedule for NOPE as the reason that he couldn't appear in BLACK PANTHER 2.
Namor Is The Villain Of Wakanda Forever
Tenoch Huerta appears as one of Marvel's earliest characters, Namor. And while his costume is relatively, er, minimal, it seems like his ornate official adornments might be made of vibranium — the stuff of Captain America's shield, and the source of Wakanda's wealth — which would be a problem.
Namor, also known as the Sub-Mariner, is an Aquaman-like anti-hero and occasional villain who is key to the Fantastic Four storyline and has been a major player in Marvel stories overall. With Marvel's plans to create a Fantastic Four movie, we've expected that Namor would show up on the big screen, and now WAKANDA FOREVER is his debut vehicle.
In fact, in AVENGERS: ENDGAME, Okoye mentions reports of earthquakes off the coast of Wakanda. That was an early hint that Namor is making waves. Because the character is one of Marvel's oldest, the rights to Namor are more complicated than most. So we're happy to see that the business side was sorted out so that Namor can make trouble for everyone on the big screen.
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER opens on November 11
All images courtesy of Marvel Studios.