This November, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will serve as the emotional final film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 4. As we close in on the final installment's premiere date, trailers and first-look images have kept us on our toes as to what direction this great nation will move in going into Phase 5. Following the late Chadwick Boseman's passing, director Ryan Coogler made the decision to focus the sequel film on the death of King T'Challa, the Black Panther, and the repercussions Wakanda faces. New images from Empire of Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) and Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) show the two uniting against the ever-stacking odds.
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, the entire slate for Phase 4 has seen our Marvel heroes reeling in the aftermath of Thanos (Josh Brolin), but in Wakanda, the people have been picking up the pieces of a very personal tragedy following the passing of their king. With their nation left grieving, outside powers seek to take advantage of their vulnerability, though it may be to their detriment to undermine the power of a nation that shares its weight across the shoulders of all its citizens. While there may be no king to lead Wakanda, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) makes it very clear that she is Queen of "the most powerful nation in the world."
Since its first trailer release, fresh first-look images have been dropped sharing costumes and characters fans can expect to see in the upcoming sequel. Most recently, new photos of Nakia and Riri Williams have surfaced that depict War Dog member and King T'Challa's partner Nakia in her all-white mourning garb, as well as side by side with Riri in her MCU debut. From the trailer, we can only assume that the donning of all white is in celebration of life. In an overhead shot, we see Queen Ramonda and T'Challa's sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) somberly walking through a crowded street carrying the headgear of the Black Panther, and in the new photo, Nakia is adorned in white flowers and facepaint looking solemn.
In the second released image, Nakia is wearing a new armor, sporting the signature green of her River Tribe, and she's embracing an alarmed Riri. Riri Williams (Thorne) is a new Super Hero to the MCU whose alter ego Ironheart seems to have come to the aid of Wakanda. In the picture, she's gripping something, shielded from someone off-camera between her and Nakia. As for who the two are facing off against, Wakanda has no shortage of adversaries in the wake of the Black Panther's death, but its the unexpected attack from Namor the Submariner (Tenoch Huerta) and his nation of Talocan that seems to pose the most direct threat in the trailer.
Wakanda Forever will see Nyong'o, Bassett, and Wright reprising their roles, as well as Winston Duke as M'Baku, Danai Gurira as Okoye the General of the Dora Milaje, Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, Florence Kasumba as Ayo and more. The sequel will also introduce fans to Huerta as Namor, Thorne as Ironheart, Michaela Coel as Aneka, Mabel Cadena as Namora, María Mercedes Coroy as Princess Fen, Alex Livinalli as Attuma, and more.
The sequel is helmed by Black Panther's director Coogler, as well as co-written by the filmmaker with Joe Robert Cole (Black Panther). Barry Waldman and Marvel Studios' Victoria Alonso and Louis D'Esposito serve as executive producers, with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Nate Moore as producers.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters on November 11. You can watch the official trailer below:
