In 2018, Black Panther launched in theaters as the first time the character had received a standalone film on the big screen.
The film was a massive success with both critics and fans thanks to some of the incredible performances including Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa, the character boasting the Black Panther title.
After rumors began to circulate that the movie would receive a sequel, tragic news broke of Boseman’s death after a long battle with cancer. Out of respect, Disney shared that it wouldn’t be recasting the T’Challa in the film, however, the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will continue as planned.
With the film already receiving its July 2022 release date, fans are left wondering who will take the mantle as the next Black Panther.
Who will be the Next Black Panther?
In Black Panther, there were plenty of great performances which were praised by most viewers, but there were definitely stand-out characters that could take the mantle up in this upcoming sequel.
Here are our picks for who could be the next character to become Black Panther.
Shuri
Being T’Challa’s younger sister, Shuri has an obvious connection to the throne of Wakanda and the Black Panther title itself. Before T’Challa inherited the power, Shuri’s father, T’Chaka, was the Black Panther.
Shuri is more than capable of doing battle herself. Similar to an Iron Man, Shuri is an extremely talented inventor with the resources of Wakanda to assist her in creating the best weaponry possible.
Having Shuri inherit the Black Panther power after her brothers passing would make a lot of sense as it did when T’Chala inherited the power himself, not to mention that in the comics Shuri takes up the role of Black Panther after T’Challa is injured by Dr Doom.
Killmonger
A fan-favorite pick to become the new Black Panther, Killmonger was the main antagonist in the first Black Panther film. The character’s popularity is due thanks to both his character development showcased on screen as well as the masterful performance by Michael B. Jordan.
The main factor that holds back this pick from becoming reality is the fact that Killmonger was killed by T’Challa at the end of the first film, but it wouldn’t be crazy to think that Marvel brings back this character to redeem himself and ultimately become Black Panther himself.
A new character
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, MCU director Kevin Feige claims that they will be exploring more of Wakanda and will be introducing plenty of new characters along the way. This could be a way to introduce the new Black Panther without rewriting one of the current characters in the film’s universe.
If we look to the comics to make a pick on who it could be there are plenty of options that are viable options to take up the mantle as Black Panther in this upcoming film.