Black Panther 2 Is Marvel’s Best Opportunity To Set Up Phase 5

Black Panther 2 could be the movie that Marvel plans to use to set up Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By introducing - or at the very least, teasing - new characters and concepts that will be integral to the next slate of Marvel films, Black Panther 2 can shape the future of the MCU beyond what fans may expect from the upcoming sequel.

Originally, Phase 4 was expected to cover films from 2020 to 2021, but due to the coronavirus pandemic and all the production delays associated with it, that plan has changed - but Black Panther 2 remains on track for a May 2022 release. The upcoming sequel isn’t officially part of Phase 4 as of yet, but considering how release dates for films like Thor: Love and Thunder and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have been moved back to 2022, it’s likely that two of the other announced movies for that year –Black Panther 2 and Captain Marvel 2 – will end up being incorporated into Marvel’s Phase 4 lineup.

As for what’s on the schedule for 2023 and 2024, there are a number of films that may be taking those slots, such as Ant-Man 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3., and Blade, which are all in development but without official release dates. Marvel may also include Fantastic Four – which was discussed at SDCC 2019 – as well as an X-Men movie. The Fantastic Four and the X-Men are two of Marvel’s biggest properties, and thanks to the Fox-Disney deal, the studio can finally make use of them. They’re sure to have important roles in the MCU going forward. It’s possible that the impact they’ll have on the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be revealed as early as Black Panther 2.

Black Panther 2 Is One Of Marvel's Biggest Upcoming Movies

Along with Doctor Strange 2 and Thor 4, Black Panther 2 is one of the biggest movies on the horizon for Marvel Studios. First of all, it occupies the late spring slot, which is usually reserved for the film that Marvel expects to be its most profitable blockbuster. Between late April and early May is when the studio has released movies like Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Also, there’s the matter of Black Panther’s success.

Black Panther 2’s predecessor made waves when it hit theaters in February 2018. The critically-acclaimed film did so well that it became the first MCU movie to get an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. It also brought in $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office; it's one of the few standalone superhero movies ever to gross more than $1 billion without being a team-up. Given how well it performed both financially and critically, expectations are high for the sequel.

Black Panther 2 Can Set Up The X-Men & Fantastic Four

Instead of simply waiting until 2023 or 2024 to introduce audiences to the worlds of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, Marvel can get a head-start on both franchises in Phase 4. Through the inclusion of two characters, Marvel can set up the MCU’s X-Men and Fantastic Four in Black Panther 2. One way this can be done is through using prominent X-Men hero Storm, who in the comics is a love interest to T’Challa. Before moving to the United States and joining Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Storm was the princess of an African tribe in Kenya who knew T’Challa when they were children. As adults, they became romantically involved and were even married for a time. Black Panther 2 could dive into the relationship between T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Storm through flashbacks to their first meetings as kids, and scenes in the present day. By the end, she could decide to move to the U.S. to start a new life, thus setting the stage for her to form ties with the X-Men in Phase 5.

If Storm’s mutant abilities are on display in the movie, she could serve as an ally to T’Challa when he fights the main villain, who may or may not be Doctor Doom. Doom is a character who many might expect Marvel to save for later, since he would be considered a strong candidate for the villain of Marvel’s Fantastic Four movie. However, using Doom as a villain in only one franchise feels like a waste of his potential. Similar to Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Doom is too important to be limited to just one film. Though he's the archenemy of the Fantastic Four, the Latverian dictator has a reputation for going up against multiple superheroes in the Marvel Universe (Black Panther included).

Story-wise, Doom would be a good choice for Black Panther 2’s villain. His interest in securing power for himself could be his motivation for being at odds with T’Challa. Wakanda’s most important resource, Vibranium, would be priceless to an ambitious villain like Doom, who would certainly have big plans for it. How Vibranium could improve Latveria’s position in the world and advance Doom’s scientific research feel like good reasons for him to instigate a conflict with Wakanda.

Other Stories Black Panther 2 Can Set Up & Connect To

Black Panther fights Namor in Marvel Comics.

Fantastic Four and X-Men connections are the most important ways Black Panther 2 can lead into Phase 5, but these two properties may only be a part of what Phase 5 has to offer. There are other major Marvel stories with which Black Panther can share a connection, Atlantis being the most important. Namor the Sub-Mariner, who is heavily rumored for the sequel, is the most popular choice for the movie’s villain. Doom’s inclusion would lower the chances of Namor appearing – but it wouldn’t rule him out altogether. A relationship between Atlantis and Wakanda was already teased in Avengers: Endgame, and could be expanded on with a more direct reference or possibly even a post-credits scene in Black Panther 2. Marvel may not want Namor for the second film, but he could be on the table for Black Panther 3.

Reportedly, the MCU is intending to tell its own version of the “Secret Invasion” story from the comics, and if that truly is the case, Marvel could get Black Panther involved by revealing a character based in Wakanda is a Skrull. What Marvel is already setting up with the shapeshifting aliens so far doesn’t have anything to do with Wakanda, but that could change soon. It’s also been reported that Marvel is developing an Illuminati project for the MCU. In the comics, the Illuminati is a secret group made up of superheroes known either for their intellect or being in a position of power. Iron Man, Black Panther, Namor, Black Bolt, and Professor X have all been counted as members. If Marvel does want to make an Illuminati movie or TV show, Marvel could foreshadow T’Challa’s involvement in Black Panther 2 by arranging a secret, ambiguous meeting with an established MCU character.

More: Marvel Theory: Black Panther 2 Introduces Namor (Not As A Villain)