The Marvel Cinematic Universe has countless TV and movie properties, although a few stand out as fan favorites. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is definitely in that category, and its sequel Wakanda Forever was a powerful meditation on grief which also saw a new Panther take on the mantle. And actress Leittia Wright recently opened up about Shuri’s future in the MCU. Let’s break it all down.
Black Panther 2 was very much focused on Shuri, and how she was grieving her brother T’Challa’s death a year after his death. Throughout the movie Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda was killed off, and Shuri found a way to replicate the heart-shaped herb and become the next Panther. Letitia Wright spoke to People about her signature character’s future, saying:
The way we end [Wakanda Forever], it definitely shows that this character is going to go on a healing journey. She has responsibilities as an auntie, and as someone who is one of the last remaining members of the royal family. That's, unfortunately, just something that she's dealing with.
Well, I’m definitely ready to see the Princess of Wakanda back on the big screen, especially now that she’s the new Black Panther. In addition to any superheroics that are coming down the line, Wright also highlighted the emotional interpersonal stories that will likely be explored. This includes the twist ending of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which revealed that T’Challa and Nakia had a child before his death.
As Wright pointed out, The Wakanda Royal Family has suffered a great deal of loss since they were introduced in the MCU. King T’Chaka died early in Captain America: Civil War, which inspired Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa to join #TeamIronMan. Eventually he perished too, followed by Queen Ramonda in Black Panther 2. Now Shuri is the only one left… except for her newly discovered nephew.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever left a number of questions, including exactly who is ruling the fictional country. While Shuri became the new Panther, she didn’t do a trial to become Queen. Instead it was heavily implied that M’Baku was finally going to take the throne. Later in the same interview with People, Letitia Wright pointed to the source material about Shuri’s future, saying:
[The] comic books reveal a lot.
Well, I’m certainly intrigued. Unfortunately, there’s no indication as to when Letitia Wright’s signature character might return to the big screen. Perhaps the most obvious choice would be Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is expected to be the shared universe’s next big crossover moment. But it’s currently unclear which characters will be included. Although Simu Liu does seem to believe Shang-Chi will be in on the fun.
The next MCU movie hitting theaters is The Marvels on November 10th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
