While audiences eagerly await a return to the country, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Winston Duke has shared his thoughts on other regions of Wakanda he thinks the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to explore. Duke's introduction into the massive superhero franchise came in the 2018 blockbuster movie, Black Panther, in which he starred as M'Baku, the leader of the Jabari clan and a rival to King T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman). After allying with T'Challa to defeat Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), M'Baku returned to the MCU in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame to take on Thanos.
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M'Baku is set to return to the big screen in writer-director Ryan Coogler's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. With the fictional African nation still reeling from the death of their King T'Challa, Wakanda must band together to protect their home from invading forces, including Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the ruler of the ancient underwater city of Talocan. With M'Baku now on the royal Tribal Council, he takes a more expansive role than ever before in the highly-anticipated sequel, but the actor behind the character is eager for more.
In a recent interview with Collider, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Winston Duke revealed that he would like other parts of Wakanda to be explored by the MCU in the future. When asked if the actor wishes to be a featured in a solo movie or Disney+ project, Duke admitted that he would definitely be up for it and explained that he wants a new MCU project focused on the Jabari-Lands. Read what Duke said below:
"Say that again, so that everyone can hear it. Say that again, for the people in the back. The Jabari-Lands are such a rich space of culture within Wakanda that it would be really cool to explore that. We’re speaking purely hypothetically here. We’re just spit-balling and dreaming. You’re dreaming with me, my tall friend. I like the idea of what M’Baku would be like, out in the world. That would be pretty cool because he’s not a character that we usually see exploring. I think his type of code of honor would be pretty cool to see interact with so many other things."
Jabari-Land, or J'Abariland, is a mountainous cold region of northern Wakanda which M'Baku represents as their leader. The area was briefly seen in Black Panther when Nakia (Lupito Nyong'o), the Queen Mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett), and CIA agent Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), ventured to the faraway land to enlist M'Baku's aid following Killmonger's coup. Although the film did not showcase the unique culture of the Jabari-Lands, an M'Baku-centric MCU show would offer the character a chance for real character growth outside of battle as well as present the various rich cultures that make up the fictional world of Wakanda.
However, the MCU has multiple projects on the way regarding the Black Panther. The direct sequel has been said to feature more of the country than ever before seen on film as the nation must rally to repel its invaders. Additionally, Marvel has announced a Wakanda-set series headed for Disney+ with Danai Gurira set to reprise her role as Okoye in a show designed as a spinoff for her character. With the MCU Phase Five and Phase Six already stacked with content, it is unlikely that such a Jabari-Lands show could fit into the stuffed slate of projects at the moment. But with Disney's coffers continuously filled with billion dollar receipts at the box office, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever set to be another box office-busting sensation, anything is possible.