The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always keeping fans on their toes, thanks to content being released in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. those of us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have seen as certain franchises became fan favorites, including Ryan Coogler's Black Panther. Fans have been wondering how the upcoming Marvel movies will continue this story, especially after Wakanda Forever's ending. Although if this wild Black Panther rumor is true, Marvel Fans Might Be Super Upset (and I don’t blame them). Let's break it down.
The original Black Panther movie was an Oscar-nominated success that became a global sensation. But the franchise hit an unexpected setback when star Chadwick Boseman died from colon cancer in 2020. The sequel Wakanda Forever was a tribute to his legacy, with the cast and crew using their real-life grief in crafting their character's stories. A wild rumor from scooper Jeff Sneider claims that Marvel i going to be recasting Boseman's character T'Challa for the multiverse, and I have to assume that fans are going to be upset about this choice. After all, folks are still mourning the loss of the 21 Bridges actor.
According to this report, Marvel isn't trying to replace Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa in the main timeline of the MCU. Instead, they are seemingly trying to bring the character back in multiverse projects like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Those movies are going to lean heavily on the use of variants, which would allow for Boseman's legacy to be untouched while bringing Black Panther into whatever wild action is coming in the forthcoming blockbusters.
This is just a rumor at this point, so we should probably take it with a grain of salt. But with Robert Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doom it's clear that we'll be getting variants from the beloved members of The Avengers in the Russo Brothers' upcoming Avengers movies. So having a variant of T'Challa doesn't seem totally out of the question.
If this rumor about recasting T'Challa ends up being true, it's sure to inspire some strong reactions from Marvel fans like myself. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a fitting tribute to Boseman, and ever since his death the last character we see during the Marvel theme song is T'Challa. So far the studio has really honored the late actor, but bringing someone else into his role might upset some of the fans who are still mourning. Boseman was a hero in real life to many, so these feelings are valid in my opinion.
Only time will tell if the rumors about T'Challa come to fruition. The Russo Brothers' movies are a few years away, so we might be wondering for a while. But the next MCU movie is Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.
