The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going for more than a decade, but it has, arguably, never had a movie make the kind of impact that Black Panther did. Director Ryan Coogler's Oscar-winning superhero movie, featuring a predominantly Black cast, is considered to be one of the best Marvel movies – if not the best – meaning it was only a matter of time before Black Panther 2 would receive the greenlight.
The, arguably, most anticipated chapter of the Marvel Phase 4 movies and one of the biggest 2022 fall movies has, previously, been subject to a number of setbacks and hardships, especially with the death of star Chadwick Boseman in August 2020, but is coming out very soon. We shall discuss when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to hit theaters and everything else we know about the movie.
The Black Panther 2 Release Date Is Set For November 2022
In August 2019, around the time its working title was still Black Panther II, Agent Everett Ross actor Martin Freeman revealed in an interview with Uproxx that the sequel would go into production in 2021. That much would prove to be true, with plans to film the movie in Georgia in June of that year going strong, but establishing an official release date was a different story.
At 2019’s D23 Expo, director Ryan Coogler announced his Black Panther sequel was intended to release in May 2022. More than a year later, Kevin Feige confirmed at Disney’s Investor Day in December 2020 that the movie’s release date had shifted by a few months to July 8. However, star Letitia Wright’s on-set injury caused a production shutdown, leading to another delay before the current release date of Friday, November 11, 2022, was confirmed in October 2021.
Ryan Coogler Wrote And Directed Black Panther 2
Ryan Coogler both co-wrote and directed Black Panther and was, thus, integral to its success, so it is encouraging that he returned to write and direct Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This was expected, given the reception to what Coogler did with the first film and how it showered Disney with ticket sales worth their weight in Vibranium.
It bodes well that Disney made sure to lock down the director for the sequel. The first film was very much Coogler's vision and his return ensures that there will be creative continuity between the two films as the director tackles his first sequel.
Black Panther 2 Promises To Continue Exploring Wakanda’s World And Characters
There is still not much that we know about the story of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, whose official synopsis says it will “continue to explore the incomparable world of Wakanda and all of the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film.” The sequel’s first official trailer did not expand on that vague description too much further than that either, but did drop a couple interesting hints and provided a glimpse of a Wakanda without its beloved king.
Indeed, Black Panther 2 did go forward without the first film’s lead hero, Chadwick Boseman. Ryan Coogler said that making the sequel after Boseman’s death was one of the hardest tasks of his professional career, but still found it incredibly motivating when looking back on what the actor “gave us” through his talent and “how [he] lived his life.”
There is a theory that Letitia Wright’s character, Shuri – T’Challa’s brilliant younger sister – is going to take her late brother’s place as Wakanda’s protector, just as she does in the comics. While some might agree it is best to keep the sequel’s new lead hero a secret for now, this transition seems to have a lot of potential, based on a shot in the trailer of a new person donning the Black Panther costume and actors confirmed to appear on the cast.
Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, And More Are Returning To The Black Panther 2 Cast
As you can imagine, the cast list for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever does not look like it used to following the loss of Chadwick Boseman, but many of our favorite supporting characters from the original Black Panther cast are set to reprise their roles. Among the returnees, we have Letitia Wright as Shuri, Danai Gurira as Okoye, and Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda. Martin Freeman is also set to appear as Agent Everett K. Ross along with Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, her Us co-star Winston Duke as M’Baku, and Florence Kasumba as Ayo.
One notable newcomer to the Black Panther 2 cast include Emmy winner Michaela Coel, who was revealed as Dora Milaje warrior Aneka during SDCC. Despite previous comments by the film’s costume designer suggesting the contrary, as reported by ScreenRant, Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya will not return as W’Kabi, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts with Jordan Peele’s hit horror movie, Nope. There is no telling at the moment if Killmonger will be revived in some way for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, despite how often Michael B. Jordan is asked about the subject.
Black Panther 2 Will Introduce Namor And Riri Williams Into The MCU
There are a couple of other newcomers to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cast we certainly should mention. The official trailer already revealed the appearance of Tenoch Huerta as Namor, the Sub-mariner and Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams.
Former Narcos: Mexico star Huerta’s portrayal of the aquatic anti-hero marks his long-awaited MCU debut, alongside Mexican actress Mabel Cadena as his cousin, Namora. Following her breakout role in If Beale Street Could Talk, Thorne is making her debut as Tony Stark’s teenage successor before she leads the upcoming Ironheart TV show, which is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2023.
Ryan Coogler Is Planning A Black Panther Spin-Off Series For Disney+
Probably the one thing that most excites me and, I am sure, many others about this Black Panther sequel is the chance to go deeper into the world of Wakanda. The culture is fascinatingly unique, the scientific advancements are enlightening, and the natural landscape is simply a wonder to behold. Luckily, it appears that the MCU’s exploration of the country will not stop at the big screen.
You can now add a Black Panther spin-off series to your list of upcoming Marvel TV shows to look forward to. It was announced in February 2021 that Ryan Coogler and his production company secured a five-year deal to develop programming for Disney+, including one project set in Wakanda.
The success of this franchise, the scope of a country like Wakanda, and the love people have for this world and these characters is enough to incite an endless amount of stories that would continue to inspire generations. Let us hope that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever lives up to that promise and to the legacy of its late, beloved star.
