Passing the mantle of Black Panther on to resident genius and Wakandan royalty Shuri in Black Panther 2 would be a fitting tribute to T’Challa’s character. Months after Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing, Disney recently announced that it would not recast his portrayal as Black Panther in future Marvel movies and would instead “explore the incomparable world of Wakanda and all of [its] rich and varied characters.” T’Challa and his younger sister Shuri share such a strong bond in the original Black Panther movie that it would make perfect sense if Shuri became the Black Panther, Wakanda’s ultimate protector. It would be the best way to preserve T’Challa’s legacy and develop relationships with other characters who might have gotten little screen time in the first movie.

Brought to life on the big screen by Letitia Wright, Shuri is first introduced to the MCU in 2018’s Black Panther. She’s T’Challa’s scene-stealing younger sister, a sarcastic, genius scientist responsible for several technological advancements throughout Wakanda’s infrastructure. Her relationship with T’Challa is founded on love and respect, but also witty banter and mocking his choice of footwear. Armed with her own lab, she spearheads new designs for T’Challa’s Black Panther suit and saves the life of CIA agent Everett Ross using vibranium. In Avengers: Infinity War, she’s enlisted to remove the Mind Stone from Vision’s head while the rest of the team fights Thanos’ army.

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Shuri’s intelligence and resourcefulness do not go unnoticed, and this is what makes her a worthy candidate for becoming the new Black Panther in the sequel. She shows a keen interest in becoming a warrior in the comics, so much so that T’Challa trains her for the day where she might have to take his place. He does indeed fall comatose at one point, leaving Shuri to inherit the Black Panther position and defend Wakanda. Black Panther 2 could explore this storyline and character dynamic around their fallen hero. At the end of the original film, T’Challa plans to remake an abandoned apartment complex in California into a Wakanda outreach center and asks Shuri to lead its science and information exchange branch. Shuri may honor T’Challa’s legacy by working with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) to provide assistance to those in need and around the world. Since T’Challa was committed to opening Wakanda’s borders and sharing its technology and resources with other nations, Shuri could carry on this legacy by doing just this while forming closer bonds with Nakia, Okoye, and W’Kabi. These characters audiences know little about would have space to develop clearer, stronger personalities and compelling narrative arcs in their mission to transform the future of Wakanda.

A number of other storylines could open up with Shuri becoming the new Black Panther. The superhuman abilities gifted the Black Panther are made possible by consuming the Heart-Shaped Herb, a plant with magical properties native to Wakanda. One possible storyline in Black Panther 2 could involve Shuri attempting to recreate the plant, which was all but destroyed by Killmonger in the first film, so she can forge a new path in T'Challa's memory. Perhaps a new villain like Namor the Sub-Mariner will threaten Wakanda's efforts for peace and community with other nations, so Shuri takes it upon herself to protect her homeland.

Though details on Black Panther 2 are still largely unknown, Shuri becoming the new Black Panther would be an amazing addition to the MCU and a beautiful tribute to T'Challa and Chadwick Boseman's work. Not only would she provide a fresh take on the Black Panther role, but she would also have more interaction with secondary characters and continue to cultivate the world of Wakanda.

Next: How Phase 4 Can Set Up Namor In The MCU (Before Black Panther 2)

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