Following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman – who played as the Black Panther – one might wonder: where does the Black Panther franchise go from here? The sequel of the first movie, Black Panther 2, will actually focus on other characters within the world of Wakanda – and the new characters were revealed through a leak.
Set for a release on November 11, 2022, it is believed that the promotional period of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie will start after the release of Thor: Love and Thunder.
Though there have been no exact details about what will happen in the movie, some merchandise leaks have already given a glimpse of the film’s aspects – which involves the introduction of new MCU Characters.
Rumors may have been confirmed that the new characters will be Namor McKenzie (a.k.a. the Sub-Mariner) and Attuma.
This means that the new film will introduce another major fictional city of the Marvel universe, the underwater city of Atlantis.
The first reveal comes in the form of the Atlanteans. The image revealed Attuma, an Atlantean warlord who is usually depicted as an enemy of Namor the Sub-Mariner.
🚨 #BlackPantherWakandaForever Official Merch ! First Look for #Attuma ! #MCU #Marvel #MarvelStudios #BlackPanther #WakandaForever #Atlantis pic.twitter.com/MWFK8x15lW
— MCU Facility (@MCU_Facility) July 2, 2022
Following the reveal of Attuma, comes the first glimpse of another new MCU character Namor.
Born Namor McKenzie, he is an anti-hero in the Marvel Universe, and is the son of an Atlantean princess and a human, making him a mutant-Atlantean hybrid (hence having pale skin). He is the current ruler of the Atlantis. To the surface dwellers, he is sometimes their ally, sometimes their enemy, for Namor’s true allegiance is to Atlantis and its people.
🚨🤩😱 And finally… #Namor !!! #BlackPantherWakandaForever merch confirm the blurry leak for #Namor ? #BlackPanther #WakandaForever #BlackPanther2 #MCU #Marvel #MarvelStudios @TenochHuerta pic.twitter.com/u8R6Dw6EpG
— MCU Facility (@MCU_Facility) July 2, 2022
The final reveal focuses on Okoye and Shuri, both characters from the first film. While there is not much of a difference with Okoye from the first movie, her Dora Milaje uniform may indicate that she is still the lead protector of Wakanda’s ruler.
Meanwhile, Shuri seems to be wearing a purple tracksuit. While this doesn’t confirm nor offer hints on her character in the sequel, the color of her new costume could be linked to the purple glow of T’Challa’s Black Suit before releasing the energy in a purple blast. After all, Shuri eventually becames T’Challa’s successor as the Black Panther in the comics.
🚨🚨 First Art for #Shuri & #Okoye in #BlackPantherWakandaForever #BlackPanther #WakandaForever #BlackPanther2 #MCU #Marvel #MarvelStudios pic.twitter.com/7KqdDtuMWA
— MCU Facility (@MCU_Facility) July 2, 2022
Joining the new Black Panther cast are Tenoch Huerta (who will most likely play Namor) and Michaela Cole.
Updates about the upcoming sequel will be posted as soon as more details are released.
What do you think about the character leaks for ‘Black Panther’: Wakanda Forever? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Featured photo by Marca