Although beloved Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman passed away last year, Marvel is still moving forward with Black Panther 2. As such, it’s been stated that someone new will assume the superhero title (but not as T’Challa). Who that will be, however, has yet to be revealed. But a new rumor suggests who we can expect to be the next Black Panther. Past rumors suggested that the character Shuri played by Letitia Wright would be taking on the mantle. Interestingly, this is not the case with the latest report.
As stated in the report from Giant Freakin Robot, they first explained how Marvel was allegedly looking to move away from the actress.
“Letitia Wright looked like she was all lined up and ready to take the mantle as the next Black Panther when the franchise continued with the sequel. But apparently, that’s looking less and less like the case with the studio possibly looking to go a completely different direction and away from the actress.”
This different direction, according to a Reddit post they’ve uncovered, allegedly involves bringing back Erik Killmonger to be the new Black Panther. Obviously this rumor should be taken with a grain of salt, especially since it didn’t look like his character survived the events of the first Black Panther film. But considering how Marvel’s reality works, especially with certain cast members of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it isn’t too much of a stretch that he could come back.
Of course, Letitia Wright still seems like a logical choice. Unfortunately, the actress made some controversial posts on social media regarding certain Coronavirus vaccines. While she hasn’t quite been fired, it wouldn’t be surprising if Marvel chose to move their focus away from her. But that definitely further narrows their choices for continuing the franchise. As such, only time will tell Marvel’s exact plans for Black Panther 2.
Ryan Coogler is attached to direct the Black Panther sequel. Beyond that, not much else is confirmed, other than a scheduled 2022 release date.