Cameras are set to start rolling on Black Panther 2 in less than four months, but we still don’t know who faces the unenviable task of stepping into the title role vacated by the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman last summer. It’s certainly not going to be easy, having to pay tribute to the legacy that the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s T’Challa left behind, while still putting a fresh stamp on the character that will look to lead the Wakandan franchise into the future.
Martin Freeman has confirmed that he’ll be returning as CIA liaison Everett K. Ross, so the supporting cast continues to expand as Ryan Coogler and his team begin gearing up for production, but there’s still an air of mystery surrounding the identity of T’Challa’s permanent replacement. Letitia Wright’s Shuri was the odds-on favorite a long time ago, but a series of ill-advised tweets have seen a lot of people sour on the idea of her suiting up.
Winston Duke’s M’Baku and Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia could realistically step in and do a great job, while a brand new face such as Kasper Cole has also been floated as a possibility. However, a new rumor claims that Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger will accept the responsibility, despite the fairly obvious roadblock that he didn’t make it out of the first movie alive.
Had Killmonger not perished at the conclusion of Black Panther, then he’d have been an ideal candidate. After all, not only is Jordan one of the fastest-rising young stars in Hollywood who was very close to Chadwick Boseman behind the scenes, but Erik Stevens’ redemption arc would have made it easy to buy him as Wakanda’s latest protector. Of course, we’ve heard similar rumors a number of times already, and Killmonger has indeed been touted for a return, but in any case, we shouldn’t be too far away from getting a definitive answer.
Published: Mar 19, 2021 12:08 pm