Kevin Feige Shoots Down Killmonger’s Return in Black Panther 2

Initially considered one of the weaker facets of the MCU, it seems like Marvel Studios have deliberately taken steps toward addressing the so-called “villain problem” of their cinematic universe. While Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio and Josh Brolin’s Thanos may have stolen the spotlight this year, no villain may have had audiences talking quite like Black Panther’s Erik Killmonger, portrayed with a sinister charm by Michael B. Jordan.

Though it’s been rumored the villain – who met his demise in the finale of Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-nominated phenomenon – may return in one way or another in Black Panther 2, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has officially gone on the record to shut that theory down. While doing press for the upcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home, Feige was asked by BET about the possibility of Killmonger’s resurrection, and he responded succinctly:

“Pure rumor. The honest answer to that is that is pure rumor and speculation, because Mr. Coogler is just only in recent weeks sitting down at his keyboard and beginning to outline the movie. It’s early, so nothing is set yet in any way that far…”

Though Marvel is notorious for planning their films out nearly a decade in advance, we know the studio gave Coogler quite a bit of liberty when it came to breaking the first movie’s story. It makes sense that they’d offer the same sense of freedom to have the writer-director return, especially in the wake of Black Panther’s billion-dollar box office haul.

Earlier this year, Avengers: Endgame star Danai Gurira joked that Erik Killmonger would return in the sequel, but her response is too flippant to actually be believed, especially considering the amount of secrecy Marvel expects from its cast. That being said, Coogler has yet to direct a feature without Michael B. Jordan’s involvement, so it’s all but certain the actor will pop up in some way or another. Whether this is a cameo in the spectral plane or something more has yet to be seen, but if Feige is to be believed, the only thing certain about the future of the MCU is that nothing is for certain.

Black Panther 2 hasn’t officially been announced yet, but expect Marvel to drop some sort of details – including a possible release date – at D23 later this year.