Between calibrating the future of X-Men in the MCU and ensuring the audience continues to show up for new entries in the long-running franchise, one of the most important question marks for Kevin Fiege and Marvel has been the search for the new Black Panther. Following up Chadwick Boseman’s monumental run as T’Challa is no easy task, and as it turns out, Marvel has no easy answers when it comes to the new Black Panther.
READ NEXT: New Wonder Woman Movie In The Works At Warner Bros
Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther was first introduced in Captain America: Civil War (2016), where he quickly became a standout character. After Bucky Barnes killed his father, the Wakandan King, Boseman’s T’Challa ends up on a manhunt for Bucky, only for Captain America to repeatedly thwart his plans. The Black Panther solo film (directed by Creed filmmaker Ryan Coogler) soon followed in 2018 and was an even bigger commercial and critical hit. Earning more cash than Avengers: Infinity War in the US, the film became an instant cultural success and even managed to nab a few Academy Award nominations. It was clear Boseman and Black Panther had changed the game for Marvel entirely.
READ NEXT: Fans Want Tom Holland To Have A Male Love Interest In Spider-Man 4
Boseman and the Black Panther cast would then make appearances in the next two Avengers films, and the character’s success convinced Marvel that they had a new hit franchise on their hands. As Marvel wrote out Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man and Evans’ Captain America at the end of Endgame, they desperately needed a new central character to ensure audiences didn't feel alienated by the departure of two of their most famous characters.
READ NEXT: Who’s The Best Spider-Man?
But, for the lack of a better word, fate had other plans. Boseman had been secretly battling colon cancer since 2016 and suddenly passed away in 2020. Coogler and Boseman had been hard at work on the Black Panther sequel when this untimely news broke, and thus, Boseman’s untimely passing threw a major wrench in what Marvel had planned out for the Black Panther. Having already written the sequel in which T’Challa was the focal point, Coogler would hurriedly stumble to salvage the story now that Boseman was not there to star in it. He would settle at Shuri, T’Challa’s sister, to take up the mantle temporarily in the sequel, titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
READ NEXT: Why Is The MCU Hulk Not Working Anymore?
Wakanda Forever, released in 2022, in what would become Marvel’s last successful solo feature before a string of box office bombs in 2023 and 2025, would absolutely demolish confidence in the franchise. Coogler brought his usual A-game to the sequel, but Marvel’s insistence on setting up new characters and spinoffs ensured the film was not as good as the first one. Although Shuri did indeed become the new Black Panther, she was no match for T’Challa’s charisma, and his presence was therefore sorely missed.
READ NEXT: Is Nicolas Cage Rejoining The MCU As Ghost Rider?
Marvel has quite a few options to continue the Black Panther franchise. First, they could always continue with Shuri since she has already played the character in a Black Panther film not starring Boseman. In addition, Shuri is already slated to return as the Panther in the next two Avengers films: Doomsday (2026) and Secret Wars (2027). Thus, Shuri is already the de facto Black Panther for the foreseeable future.
READ NEXT: The X-Men Will Return In 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday
Or, Marvel could focus on T’Challa’s infant son, Toussaint (later revealed to be also named T’Challa), introduced in Wakanda Forever. However, this presents a slight issue as focusing on the teenage or adult T’Challa would have to move the timeline of the story forward by at least ten to fifteen years, as the infant T’Challa cannot possibly be the next Black Panther. Since audiences have not warmed to Shuri as much as Marvel wanted them to, this scenario has a greater chance of playing out.
READ NEXT: The 7 Strongest MCU Characters Ranked
While Wakanda Forever’s middling reception might have led some to believe Coogler would step away from the franchise, he has instead doubled down and is returning for Black Panther 3. Marvel also confirmed the film is a go and Coogler has been writing it for some time now. Coogler also confirmed Denzel Washington’s casting in the threequel in November 2024 calling him ‘the greatest living actor’. However, it is not yet clear who Washington is playing; rumors have him being a Wakandan Elder or an older retired Black Panther. Due for release sometime after 2027, there is no word about who will be the next Black Panther, although Shuri is slated to return in the threequel as well.
READ NEXT: Ryan Reynolds Is Developing A New Marvel Movie
At the same time, there have since been quite a few credible rumors (yes, rumors!) about Marvel recasting T’Challa or casting a new Black Panther. Reputed industry paper Deadline headlined that F1 star Damson Idris is one such actor that Marvel has considered for the role but Idrees has been playing coy about the rumors. However, if Marvel already announced T’Challa’s passing in Wakanda Forever, why would they recast him? The only way the recasting would make sense is if the story takes place in the past or in an alternate timeline. How Coogler and Marvel would seamlessly integrate this possibility into the current MCU timeline remains to be seen.
READ NEXT: Is Henry Cavill Playing Captain Britain?
We all know Marvel has a slew of creative tools at their disposal, and thus, they could tackle the Black Panther situation in any number of ways, each of which might invite varying degrees of fan backlash. Recasting the character is its own can of worms, while letting Shuri continue risks stagnating the franchise altogether. Thus, as we noted before, there are no easy fixes to this unique problem that Marvel has found itself in. After Iron Man and Captain America’s departure and Thor’s impending retirement, the Black Panther remains the only MCU character with an unlimited amount of goodwill attached to the name. What Marvel chooses to do here will be extremely interesting, and all will be revealed in the coming months as Black Panther 3 continues to take form.
Let us know in the comments below about who you think Marvel should select as the next Black Panther.
Make sure to follow us over on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads for additional movie news and content. Check out the articles below for more.
