Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hit the cinemas running last week, breaking the November box office record by earning a staggering $180 million in its debut weekend. The film pleased fans and critics alike by paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who tragically passed away before filming began, crafting a deeply emotional and exciting movie, and tying into the larger MCU by teasing what's to come next.
As with every MCU film, Wakanda Forever is filled with hints about what's happening outside of Wakanda, including a certain Avenger releasing a hilariously titled memoir.
The following article contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
10 'Look Out For The Little Guy!'
With the highly-anticipated Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania just around the corner, it's no surprise that the titular hero, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), received a brief mention in passing. During a short news segment in the movie, the bottom chyron reveals that Lang is currently on a book tour with his new memoir, aptly titled Look Out for the Little Guy!
We doubt this will play a key role in the plot of the third Ant-Man movie, but it may well explain what Lang has been doing since he helped defeat Thanos after all. Also, we're getting a copy of that memoir.
9 The U.S. Wants Vibranium
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A large sub-plot in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever revolves around the rest of the world, particularly the United States., wanting access to Wakanda's vibranium. At a summit, it is revealed that there have already been attempts to raid Wakandan outreach facilities, all of which have been thwarted.
As the film progresses and the U.S. begins to blame Wakanda for Namor's attacks, the President decides to take offensive action against Wakanda. He wants to destabilize the nation to take the vibranium for himself. We don't see if this plan is put into motion during the sequel, but we expect this to play a considerable role in a third Black Panther movie, something Kevin Feige recently teased.
8 Namor
Namor (Tenoch Huerta) is one of the most compelling and intriguing characters the MCU has introduced in years. He may act like a villain, but he is just a leader scarred by his brief experience with the outside world and willing to protect his people by any means necessary.
Though he eventually yields to Shuri, it's later revealed that Namor knows the outside world will soon come for Wakanda. He implies he will use this as his opportunity to finally wage war against the surface. We're not exactly sure if he will become a hero or remain a villain, but one thing's for sure: we'll see a lot more of Namor in the MCU moving forward.
7 Ironheart
Speaking of characters with big futures in the MCU, Wakanda Forever also introduces Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), a young genius who's built an iron suit capable of flying through the air. Yes, Riri will become Ironheart, the successor to Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr).
Riri will be seen in the upcoming Disney+ series, Ironheart, where she will have to build herself a new suit once again, considering her first was destroyed and the second was kept in Wakanda. However, Riri may be in for a tricky ride once she arrives home. The CIA is now aware not only of her genius but also of the fact that she has built a functional Iron-Man-esque suit, meaning she likely won't be able to enjoy the quiet student life she once knew.
6 Everett Ross' Arrest
Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) has been an ally to Wakanda ever since Shuri saved his life in Wakanda. His role has not changed in the sequel, either, with him consistently risking his career to push Shuri and Okoye in the direction of Riri and providing updates of his departments' investigation to Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett).
Unfortunately, his new boss had been privy to every conversation he held with Wakanda, which led to Ross' arrest. Thankfully, Okoye breaks him out, thus beginning Ross' journey as a fugitive. We know the character will next be seen in the highly anticipated Disney+ series Secret Invasion, where he will perhaps try and clear his name by working alongside Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson).
5 Valentina Allegra De Fontaine
A major surprise in the beloved sequel revealed that Valentina Allegra De Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is the new head of the CIA, something her ex-husband Everett Ross is not too happy about. While she's acted as a Nick Fury-esque figure in phase four, tying various projects together, it's clear that she intends to help America without concerning herself with the rest of the world.
How exactly she rose through the ranks at the agency with this outlook is a mystery, but it seems to point at the Thunderbolts being a team of CIA operatives. However, she may return before that to bicker with the new Captain America, as the Thunderbolts are expected to appear in Captain America: New World Order.
4 Restoring the Heart-Shaped Herb
Wakanda Forever's opening scene is one of the most heart-wrenching in the entire MCU. In it, we follow Shuri (Letitia Wright) as she attempts to recreate the heart-shaped herb, all of which were destroyed by Kilmonger (Michael B Jordan), to save her dying brother.
Though she cannot recreate the herb in time to save her brother, she is later able to create a synthetic herb using a bracelet given to her by Namor that contains strands of the plant his people used to breathe under the water. With the heart-shaped herb now restored, Wakanda can rest easy knowing that it will always have a Black Panther to protect the nation from any threats she may face.
3 The Midnight Angels
The Midnight Angels were teased rather consistently throughout Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but we had to wait until the third act before we finally saw the suits in action. Built by Shuri, the suits offer the user enhanced strength, durability, and speed.
Okoye (Danai Gurira) and Aneka (Michaela Coel) are given the suits, which in the comics are worn by the bodyguards of the Black Panther. Given how effective the suits are proven to be, it's safe to assume the Midnight Angels will become a permanent fixture in Wakanda, especially now that Okoye is no longer a member of the Dora Milaje.
2 The Future of the Black Panther
The final few scenes of the movie do a great deal to establish what's next to come for the nation of Wakanda and the MCU as a whole. One such scene takes place at Warrior Falls where, to everybody's surprise, M'Baku (Winston Duke) arrives in Shuri's place and states his intent to challenge for the throne.
This is a hugely significant moment for Wakanda. If his challenge is successful, which we assume it will be as Shuri isn't there to challenge him, M'Baku will become the King of Wakanda. We're not entirely sure if this will separate the throne from the mantle of Black Panther or if M'Baku wants both, but we will almost certainly find out when we next return to Wakanda. For now, we can only imagine what a Wakanda run by M'Baku would look like. Pretty good, we think.
1 Shuri's Future
After losing both her brother and her mother in the space of a year, Shuri travels to Haiti at the film's conclusion to finally mourn. There, she also meets her brother's son, who he and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) agreed to raise away from the pressures of the throne. Seeing her finally take the time to mourn was one of the film's most touching moments and brought the character's arc to a satisfying end.
There is, however, uncertainty regarding Shuri's future. We know that she's stepped away from the throne, and it's so far unclear whether she will retain the mantle of the Black Panther. The character has more than earned a period of rest, but with the US desperate for vibranium, Wakanda will need its protector back before long. Perhaps, with the heart-shaped herb restored, there will be more than one Black Panther guarding the nation. Whatever happens, we can't wait to return to Wakanda. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long.