“There’s… A Lot Coming Up”

Letitia Wright has opened up about her potential future as the Black Panther in the MCU. Wright’s Shuri became the titular superhero in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever following T’Challa’s death, which was written in response to the tragic passing of original Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was an emotional story for Shuri, the citizens of Wakanda, and MCU audiences, who enjoyed the movie to the tune of almost $860 million at the global box office. Despite this success, however, Marvel Studios hasn’t yet confirmed Black Panther 3.

While Marvel Studios and director Ryan Coogler remain mum about a potential sequel to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, lead actor Letitia Wright may have just teased her return to the MCU. Speaking on The View (via Variety), Wright noted that she would “love to continue with Shuri,” considering her MCU hero “such a blessing.”When pressed about her potential future in the franchise, Wright suggested, somewhat cryptically, that there’s “a lot coming up.” This suggests Letita Wright’s return as Shuri’s Black Panther may already be in the works.

Let’s just say … I would like to continue with Shuri. She’s one of my favorite characters. Such a blessing, honestly. I kid you not, I’m so grateful for her… There’s a lot to, a lot to — a lot coming up.

What Black Panther’s MCU Future Currently Looks Like

As one of the MCU’s cornerstone heroes, and the gateway to exploring the vibrant world of Wakanda, there’s no doubt the Black Panther will be returning, depsite there being no confirmation from Marvel Studios. The upcoming animated Eyes of Wakanda series will put historic Wakandan warriors front-and-center, though it’s unclear whether a version of the Black Panther will appear. It would be great to see previous iterations of the Black Panther debut in the MCU, however, similarly to how T’Chaka’s Black Panther was given a larger role in What If…? season 2.

During a conversation with Variety in January 2023, Letitia Wright suggested that Black Panther 3 was “already in the works.” There’s been no word on this matter since then, but this could mean that an announcement regarding Black Panther 3 may be imminent, putting Shuri’s Black Panther in the spotlight yet again. Another Black Panther sequel from Ryan Coogler could also expand Namor’s world of Talokan, and develop loose threads involving M’Baku, Okoye, and Nakia, who introduced her and T’Challa’s secret son in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

I think it’s already in the works. You know, we just had a terrific two years of bringing [
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
​​​​​​​] out and everybody coming together to support it. We need a little bit of a break, we need to regroup and [director] Ryan [Coogler] needs to get back into the lab, so it’s going to take a little while, but we’re really excited for you guys to see that. I always try to do positive words and positive thinking, and I believe that good words manifest, so I’m manifesting a ‘
Black Panther 3
,’ why not?

It’s unclear whether Black Panther 3 would release before or after Phase 6’s Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars. Whatever the case, it’s very likely that Shuri’s Black Panther will be featured among the MCU’s new Avengers team, and will have a part to play in the upcoming crossover movies. There has been speculation that Shuri could appear in Captain America: Brave New World, with Sam Wilson perhaps forming his Avengers team very soon. The Black Panther is one of Marvel’s most significant heroes, so Letitia Wright will surely return before too long.

• 

  Black Panther

  Director

  Ryan Coogler

  Release Date

  February 16, 2018

  Writers

  Joe Robert Cole , Ryan Coogler

  Runtime

  134 Minutes

  Budget

  $200 million

• 

  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

  Director

  Ryan Coogler

  Release Date

  November 11, 2022

  Writers

  Ryan Coogler , Joe Robert Cole

  Runtime

  2h 41m

  Budget

  250 Million

Source: Variety/Variety