Letitia Wright coyly responds to whether Shuri will be the new Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Directed by Ryan Coogler, who also directed the first Black Panther, the upcoming sequel is set to mark one of the last major projects of MCU Phase 4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will tell the story of Wakanda's struggles against various world powers as the nation mourns the loss of King T'Challa. Boseman, who was first introduced as T'Challa, aka the Black Panther, back in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, tragically passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer.
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Wright's Shuri played an important role in the events of the first Black Panther, as well as other MCU films like Avengers: Infinity War. In addition to Shuri, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will feature the return of a number of other characters from the first film, including Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Okoye (Danai Gurira), Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), and M'Baku (Winston Duke). With the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer confirming that T'Challa has died and that a new Black Panther has taken his place, many have been wondering whether Shuri could be the one to take up the mantle of Wakanda's iconic hero.
In a new interview with Empire, Wright addresses whether Shuri will become the new Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, giving a coy answer. The actor reveals that the idea of Shuri taking up the Black Panther mantle was actually something that she discussed with Coogler and Boseman back when they were making the first film. Wright doesn't provide a definitive answer one way or another, but does say that eventually getting to play Black Panther was "something that [she] really looked forward to." Check out Wright's full comment below:
“That’s a tricky question to answer. I had a chat about it with Ryan and Chad when we were making Black Panther, and we touched on it briefly. When I realised I was playing Shuri, it was something that I really looked forward to.”
What Other Characters Could Become the New Black Panther?
In the Marvel Comics, of course, Shuri does eventually become the Black Panther, which was likely what led to Wright's conversation with Coogler and Boseman. Many fans have guessed that Shuri's comic book origins, in combination with the brief look at the new Black Panther at the end of the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, means Wright's character will ultimately be the one to take up the mantle. However, the MCU has deviated from heroes' comic book source material on a number of occasions, suggesting it might not be Shuri who becomes the new Black Panther.
Either Nyong'o's Nakia or Gurira's Okoye could potentially become the new Black Panther, with both characters having proven their abilities as warriors in the past. Another theory for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever suggests that it isn't actually any one character who becomes the new version of the hero, but a responsibility that various citizens of Wakanda share. It remains to be seen whether Shuri will be the MCU's new Black Panther moving forward, but fans don't have much longer to wait before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever provides a definitive answer.