Avengers 4: Black Panther Shuri Will Find Out HOW Dead Heroes Return

Shuri becoming the new Black Panther could hold the key to Avengers 4 bringing its dead heroes back. There's been no shortage of theories in the months since Avengers: Infinity War's release that have attempted to crack the code to the film's ending. But, the latest one makes Letitia Wright's Shuri the most important part.

Wright debuted as Shuri in Black Panther earlier this year and quickly followed her breakout performance up with a small role in Infinity War. She was tasked with trying to separate the Mind Stone and Vision, so they could destroy the last Infinity Stone without killing the powerful Avenger. Corvus Glaive's surprise attach stopped her from completing her goal, and that proved to be devastating. Once Thanos ripped the stone out of Vision's head, he snapped his fingers and half of the universe's population was wiped away.

This has led to an incredible amount of theories as to what is coming next. Between the Soul World, time travel, alternate dimensions, the Quantum Realm, memories, and B.A.R.F., several different Marvel Cinematic Universe devices have been at the center of the latest attempts to solve the mystery. Even though some of these have merit to them, there are also holes. According to the latest theory, it may actually be Shuri and her journey to become the next Black Panther that holds the key.

This Page: Shuri Needs to Become Black Panther
Page 2: How She Can Help Bring Dead Heroes Back

Shuri May Become Black Panther In Avenger 4

Since T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) vanished, Wakanda is going to be in need of a new ruler and protector. One of the biggest theories for Avengers 4 is that Shuri will actually receive a major promotion and become the next Black Panther. As shown through Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther, Wakanda doesn't wait in naming a replacement. Almost immediately after arriving back in Wakanda, T'Challa performs the necessary rituals to be the next king after his father's death. Now that he is gone, someone is going to need to fill the position, and it may just be Shuri.

There is precedence for this in the pages of Marvel comics too, as Shuri served as the Queen of Wakanda and its Black Panther for years. However, given Black Panther's popularity in his brief tenure on screen, it would likely take several years if not close to a decade for Marvel to regularly build to Shuri becoming Black Panther. But, since T'Challa is gone, Shuri can step in and give fans a glimpse of what this could be like without sidelining her brother. What could make this even more likely is the distinct possibility of there being a time jump between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4. Wakanda can't operate for several years without a ruler, and Shuri is the perfect choice. As cool as it may be to see Shuri lead, it is actually the necessary steps she needs to take that could help fix everything.

The Ancestral Plane Can Reveal If The Snap Victims Are Really Dead

According to this new theory on Reddit by u/hockeytalkie, Shuri may be the key to solving Avengers: Infinity War's dustings. If Shuri does become the next ruler of Wakanda and their new Black Panther, then she too will need to go through their traditional rituals. She's proven herself capable in combat before, so she could handle herself at Warrior Falls - if there were any challenges to begin with. Once she succeeds in this area, the next step to becoming a ruler of Wakanda is to drink the Heart-Shaped Herb and visit the Ancestral Plane. It is there that they can communicate with past rulers and loved ones, which is how T'Challa spoke to T'Chaka (John Kani) on two occasions and Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) revisited memories of his father, N'Jobu (Sterling K. Brown).

However, this step in the process is not currently possible. As far as we know, Killmonger destroyed the last of the Heart-Shaped Herbs. Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) stole one final piece to help revive T'Challa, but all other remains were torched per his commands. The Wakandan traditions may not allow for a new ruler to be crowned until this ceremonial procedure can happen, and since Shuri is the smartest person in the MCU, it isn't crazy to think she could figure out a way to grow more and complete her ascension to the throne. If she is successful, then a journey to the Ancestral Plane would be in order. Who Shuri does or doesn't see during this time could determine what actually happened at the end of Avengers: Infinity War.

Page 2 of 2: The Ancestral Plane Holds the Key

If T'Challa's There, Then Snap Must Be Averted

As the theory goes, once Shuri would visit the Ancestral Plane, she would likely want to speak to her fallen brother. If she is actually able to find T'Challa in the Ancestral Plane, then it would confirm that the victims in Infinity War all actually did die. The Ancestral Plane is a version of the afterlife, so T'Challa should only be there if he has truly died. Shuri being able to see him there would give them a chance to catch up and get on the same page, but also signify that the heroes who survived the snap must actually reverse it or stop Thanos altogether. This knowledge could then eliminate some scenarios that Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and the other living heroes could be looking into.

Doing this will be easier than it sounds, but the biggest theory points to time travel being used to undo Thanos' action. Should Shuri visit the Ancestral Plane in Avengers 4, she could then share this information with the other surviving heroes and plan a course of action. Time travel could be their best bet as it would allow them to travel across time, slowly defeating Thanos by taking the Infinity Stones before he can snap his fingers. If they were able to find a way to stop the snap, then the heroes wouldn't die in the first place. This could effectively reset the MCU's timeline to erase what happened between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4. Even if time travel isn't the method the Avengers use to reverse the snap, Shuri learning they did actually die should help them figure out their best option.

If T'Challa's Not There, They're Not Really Dead

However, if Shuri visits the Ancestral Plane and seeks out her brother, what happens if T'Challa isn't there? In this scenario, it would confirm something entirely different: that the snap victims never died in the first place. This would be a huge revelation and show that something other than death has taken them away. Whether that results in them being trapped in the Soul Stone itself or being transported to an alternate dimension, Shuri being unable to find T'Challa in the Ancestral Plane would prove that these other heroes are, in some way, still alive.

Upon this discovery, it would be up to Shuri and the rest of the gang to figure out where they've gone. The Russo Brothers haven't offered many Avengers 4 clues, but they did tease that B.A.R.F. could be a key component. Using this technology, they could replay the events of Avengers: Infinity War and past events if necessary to try and find clues as to what actually happened. There's also the continued teases of the Quantum Realm, which could be a major key to figuring out where the heroes are and saving them. No matter where the snap victims actually wind up being rescued from, the point of this discovery is that they can indeed be saved and brought back to this reality.

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As far as the Avengers 4 theories go, this one is actually pretty solid. It is all contingent on the fact that Shuri would need to become the next Black Panther and do the same rituals as her ancestors. This plot would be a great way for Avengers 4 to communicate with audiences what happened. Of course, if Shuri is Black Panther in Avengers 4, but she doesn't visit the ancestral plane, then Marvel might have some explaining to do.