Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
There is quite a lot that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the latest from writer-director Ryan Coogler, has achieved. It honors the legacy of Chadwick Boseman who passed away in 2020, sets in motion the Ironheart series, and serves as an entertaining blockbuster. As such, there are a lot of moving pieces as it tries to fulfill its franchise obligations alongside its emotional ones. We’ve been reflecting on the questions that remain about the impact it could have on both the series and this particular story. Thus, we’re going to jump into all the implications the film could have on the road ahead and will be spoiling almost everything.
Will Namor Respect the Peace Agreement Between Talokan and Wakanda?
One of the strongest parts of this new film is the introduction of Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) and his underwater world. After seeing the impacts of colonization firsthand, he fears that future encroachment on his home could spell doom for all he has worked to build. In the events of the film, he ends up going to war with Shuri (Letitia Wright) and the people of Wakanda as they do not initially align themselves with him. The conflict culminates in a fight between the two leaders that nearly ends with Namor dead. However, Shuri says that if he yields to her that there could be peace. Later, as Namor returns home and is alone painting, he is asked by one of his people if this will last. The answer he gives leaves open the door for yet more conflict in the future as the threats he sees to his people remain. Considering that Shuri seems to no longer be in power at home, it is an open question about if further disagreements could bring everyone right back to where they were.
Who Will Rule Wakanda?
The closing mid-credits scene of the film sees Shuri away from Wakanda and mourning her brother alone. While this is happening, M'Baku (Winston Duke) expresses interest in taking the throne himself. The moment is almost played for laughs, though there is something more going on here. There is a long-standing schism in the kingdom as the Jabari Tribe that M’Baku leads have shut themselves off from the rest of their society. They have even been less than thrilled about T'Challa being ruler, though they have frequently assisted their brethren in defending the kingdom. The first time, M’Baku had gotten a seat on the council that helped make decisions for Wakanda. Now, after once again helping to defend their people, it seems as though he is looking for something more. Perhaps this will be uncontested initially. However, considering what we know of another character who has a claim to the throne, that question of succession could soon be a much more complicated one for all the characters. Speaking of which….
What Will Become of T'Challa's Secret Son?
The biggest reveal of the film is that there is another character we didn't know even existed. In the aforementioned mid-credits scene, Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) comes to join Shuri in her mourning on the beach. However, she doesn't come alone and brings along a young kid that seems to be almost familiar. He is funny and sweet, instantly forming a bond with Shuri. It's then revealed that this precocious young kid is the son of T’Challa, whom Nakia has kept secret from everyone save for his grandmother Ramonda (Angela Bassett). Shuri is shocked, but the three have a sweet conversation away from the rest of the world.
How long this tranquility will last is impossible to know as the lineage this kid, who bears the same name as his father, has been born into will demand much of him. Will he take on the mantle of Black Panther and begin to fight the forces threatening Wakanda? Is that even something he wants for his life? What will happen if he is discovered? There is so much that is yet unknown for him as he stands on the precipice of a life that will ask much of him. The same could be said of his aunt, which leads us to our next question.
Will Shuri Become More Like T’Challa or Killmonger?
One of the surprise appearances in the film is that of Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) who comes to Shuri on the Ancestral Plane. Rather than get guidance about what she should do next, this interaction only brings more uncertainty and discord to her troubled mind. Killmonger gets under her skin, outlining how the two of them are more alike than they are different. As we all remember from the first film, he was someone that it was hard not to relate to, and he managed to win many to his side in Wakanda by giving voice to their own frustrations.
Notably, Shuri keeps this conversation largely to herself as it clearly rattles her. While she loves her brother more than anything, the pain of his loss and the anger she then feels at the subsequent death of her mother has the potential to push her down a different path. Even as she is able to find some sense of peace towards the end of the film, there is still a feeling that all this is rather tenuous and could easily be undone if she were to experience yet more loss. She has a fraught journey ahead, for which there are no easy answers.
Is Ironheart Ready to Be the Hero of Her Own Story?
The introduction of Riri Williams, aka Ironheart (Dominique Thorne) is a central aspect of the story as she's integral to helping the Wakandans in their final battle against Talokan. However, she still has her own life that she left behind. Will she be able to complete college after being gone for so long? One shudders to think of the many assignments that have piled up in her absence.
More significantly than this, is she ready to find her way and become a hero like her predecessor Tony Stark? Sure, she more than holds her own in this film, but it is another thing entirely to take on the tough challenges of becoming a hero on one’s own. There will be a whole Ironheart series devoted to this journey, and we are still immensely curious about what path she'll take.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters.