A magazine cover for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever shows Namor more in detail, along with Princess Shuri and Queen Ramonda. It's been a long ride for Phase 4 as Marvel Studios are currently in The Multiverse Saga, involving several films and shows that keep expanding the MCU. While She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will be the final Phase 4 show for Disney+, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be the last film from the slate before Phase 5 kicks off in 2023.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will finish off 2022 for Marvel Studios, it will be the most bittersweet movie in Phase 4. Following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther sequel has a challenging mission on its plate as they continue the franchise without T'Challa. Even though the exact details remain under wraps, Marvel Studios confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 that T'Challa has passed away and will be a crucial storyline in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While a new Black Panther will take over the mantle, the MCU sequel is also introducing another iconic Marvel character, with Tenoch Huerta as Namor the Sub-Mariner.
Since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is less than two months away from opening in theaters, the marketing campaign is underway for the highly anticipated sequel. Like most MCU films, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is getting not one, but two Empire Magazine covers which Marvel Studios revealed on social media. One of them features a closer look at Huerta's Namor, along with Letitia Wright's Shuri and Angela Bassett's Ramonda. The second Black Panther. Wakanda Forever cover is 100% Talocan-themed, giving a taste of Namor's underwater city culture, as Marvel Studios is re-imagining the character and his background from the comics. Check out both covers below.
More Signs That Shuri Is The New Black Panther
While time will tell who will actually be the new Black Panther, these covers serve as another sign that Shuri will most likely be the one to take over for T'Challa. In the comics, Shuri ended up becoming Black Panther at one point, and given her role as the princess of Wakanda, the MCU has already done a lot of the groundwork for that transition. There has also been Black Panther: Wakanda Forever marketing, including a leaked LEGO set that more or less confirms Shuri's new MCU status. Having Wright's character also featured on marketing, such as magazine covers, speaks volumes about her becoming the next Black Panther.
Another crucial Black Panther: Wakanda Forever mystery is Namor's larger role in the MCU after this movie. While they are starting him out as a "villain," Namor will likely take on a more heroic role sooner rather than later. With many MCU films, sometimes they paint one character as the antagonist when in fact, a different puppet master was pulling the strings all along and whose identity doesn't get revealed until fans see the movie in theaters. If Black Panther: Wakanda Forever theories and rumors are correct that Doctor Doom is being set up as the film's actual villain, that may be something that brings Namor and the new Black Panther together. Once Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters, it will be intriguing to see how the MCU tackles Namor and whoever ends up being T'Challa's successor.