Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger definitely died at the end of Black Panther, going as far as choosing to perish rather than being revived by Wakandan technology. Still, he was such a popular villain that fans have been wondering whether he might make a return to the MCU in some form.
Now, a bit of fuel has just been added to that fire after Jordan and his co-star Danai Gurira were asked by Variety what secrets to expect from Black Panther 2. Gurira laughed and said: “Killmonger comes back.” For his part, Jordan laughed along and said “you did it now!” – teasing her for revealing spoilers in a very Ruffalo-ish sort of way.
While there’s probably some kind of spec script for Black Panther 2 being worked on, I doubt very much that the actors would be privy as to what’s in it, not to mention that they’re both clearly joking in the interview. But, all that said, could Killmonger really make a comeback?
If Marvel Studios absolutely wanted to, I can think of a number of ways they could have him return. The first is some as yet unseen use of Wakandan technology, perhaps bringing him back as some kind of horrifying undead. Or you could use him in flashbacks. After all, his status as a member of the Royal family means that he’ll have a background connection to any future events in the story.
Then there’s a (presumed) reality jiggering that’ll probably take place at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. My bet is that Marvel Studios will use the film as a very soft retcon to some decisions they’d rather have not made, maybe with some nips and tucks made to the more untidy corners of the MCU in order to clean it up for the impending arrival of the X-Men and Fantastic Four. If they were hellbent on resurrecting Killmonger, just have him turn up in this ‘new’ reality as if nothing ever happened.
Despite all these avenues being open though, I doubt we’ll see the character again. Black Panther was a cut above most other MCU movies and Michael B. Jordan’s performance and Killmonger’s narrative were huge parts of that – woe betide Marvel if they decide to mess with a film this popular.