One of 2022's most eagerly anticipated movies, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is just a few months around the corner. The sequel to 2018's monster hit Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler, is set to be the last MCU movie of 2022 and promises to give Chadwick Boseman's character a worthy and respectful sendoff.
While plot details surround the movie have been noticeably scarce, a recent trailer for the movie did confirm the much suspected theory that Namor will be the primary antagonist of the movie. Fans over on Reddit have numerous other theories around plot details, new characters, and who will take on the mantle of Black Panther.
The New Black Panther Will Be An Avatar Of Bast
The MCU has a complicated relationship with gods. Thor established that Norse gods of Scandinavia were real beings from another planet with powers. Since then, the MCU has introduced a plethora of different gods from different human cultures. Thor: Love and Thunder introduced Zeus and Hercules from Greek mythology to the MCU, while Moon Knight introduced Khonshu and Amit from Egyptian mythology. Black Panther previously established the Egyptian goddess Bast as the one who introduced the Wakandans to the Heart-Shaped herb (which is the source of the Black Panther's powers).
This theory from Redditor moswennaidoo posits that the new Black Panther in Wakanda Forever will be the actual avatar for the goddess Bast, similar to how Marc functioned as Knonshu's avatar in Moon Knight. There is a lot of evidence provided to support the theory, but the basic idea put forward is that because the herb was all destroyed in the original Black Panther, then "The next Black Panther WILL be the actual avatar of Bastet." This is the only way that the new Black Panther could have the powers granted to the previous Black Panthers.
Tiamut's Emergence Disturbed Namor's Kingdom
One of the most exciting reveals from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer is the first live-action appearance of Namor, the Sub-Mariner, one of Marvel's oldest superheroes. His presence in the most recent trailer for Wakanda Forever has fans very excited about his role in the movie.
One theory from Redditor Ultyzarus theorizes how Wakanda and Talocan (Namor's underwater kingdom) could come into conflict. The idea concerns Tiamut's appearance in Eternals, and whether his "...emergence could have disturbed Namor's people." As Wakanda is a landlocked country and Talocan presumably lies somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Mexico, it is hard to imagine how these two kingdoms will come into conflict with one another. A world-altering event such as Tiamut's emergence could be that catalyst.
Nakia Will Be The New Black Panther
One of the biggest unknowns of the new Black Panther movie is who will take on the Black Panther mantle from T'Challa, and one of the most popular fan choices for that role is Nakia.
While Shuri seems like the most obvious choice to succeed T'Challa, being his only sibling, Nakia would also make a formidable Black Panther. Numerous Redditors, like Tron_1981, believe that Nakia is the "best spiritual successor to T'Challa's title" - and given that she has proven to be a skilled and excellent fighter, there is a possibility that this theory may come true.
There Will Be Numerous Black Panthers In The Movie
One idea floating around Reddit as to why we haven't seen the new Black Panther yet is that there isn't just one Black Panther in the movie. This theory forsees a number of different characters taking on the role of Black Panther.
Redditor Papa_Razzi anticipates that we'll see a number of different characters donning the Black Panther costume by the end of the movie: "I'm half expecting multiple people to wear the suit by the end of the movie." This seems very likely, especially considering that there are a number of suitable candidates for the role, including Shuri, Nakia, and M'Baku.
M'Baku Will Become The King Of Wakanda
Winston Duke's M'Baku emerged from 2018's Black Panther as one of the standout characters. The antagonist turned ally to T'Challa is easily one of the most formidable characters in Wakanda, and could well be one of the characters that takes on the Black Panther mantle.
However, many Redditors, including aestus, suspects that "...M'Baku will become king." The precedence for this has already been set up in Black Panther when M'Baku was offered the herb to defeat Killmonger, but instead chose to save T'Challa's life. Wakanda Forever could see this fan-favorite character finally lead the Wakandans against Namor and his invading army as King.
Ramonda Will Become The New Black Panther
One Black Panther character set to take on a more prominent role in Wakanda Forever is Angela Bassett's Queen Ramonda. Her character is featured prominently in the trailer for Wakanda Forever, however, some fans have wondered if she could also be the Black Panther figure that fans glimpsed at the end of the trailer.
This theory, from this Redditor, ties into a theory mentioned earlier regarding the goddess Bast and her choice of a new avatar. The theory is detailed, but the basic idea is that Shuri will also die in the movie, which would explain the line in the trailer where she says "My entire family is gone," and that Bast will choose Ramonda to take on the role of Black Panther as her avatar.
No One Will Get The Powers Of The Black Panther
One of the pivotal scenes in Black Panther is Killmonger's destruction of the heart-shaped herb, the source of the Black Panther's power. The last herb taken before the destruction was given to T'Challa who used the powers of the Black Panther to stop Killmonger and save Wakanda. With the herbs now destroyed, this has led many to question how the new Black Panther get their powers.
Redditor Papa_Razzi theorizes that the new Black Panther may not even have powers, similar to how Sam Wilson doesn't have powers as the new Captain America: "We're not even sure if anyone will get the BP powers and could see similar themes to Sam Wilson's Captain America where you don't need powers to wear the suit."
Killmonger Will Make A Cameo Appearance
Erik Killmonger served as the main villain in Black Panther, easily becoming one of the MCU's best villains. Although he died at the end of that movie, everyone that knows anything about comic books and superheroes knows that death is only a temporary state.
A theory going around predicts that Michael B. Jordan will make a brief appearance as Killmonger in Wakanda Forever, possibly showing up, according to Redditor JeffemyMorgan "in the ancestral plane for Shuri." If Shuri, or anyone else, does go to the ancestral plane and sees Killmonger instead of T'Challa, it would be a shocking moment.
There Will Be A Black Panther From Another Universe
Seeing as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is part of the MCU's Multiverse Saga, it makes sense that it would tie into the already established multiverse in some way. A way that this could be done is by introducing a Black Panther variant from another universe.
There is certainly precedence for this in the comics, as Black Panther has a library of powerful variants, and in the movies where variants of Spider-Man, Loki, and Doctor Strange have already appeared. Redditor BeatOfBlaine highlights that a "...Black Panther from another universe. One that lost his kingdom to Namor and Atlantis..." would heighten the tension between the warring kingdoms.
Doctor Doom Will Appear
One of the biggest rumors and theories going around on Reddit concerns a possible appearance by Doctor Doom in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, most likely in a post-credits scene.
The theory, stated here by HearTheEkko, predicts that Doctor Doom will be revealed "as the real instigator of the Wakanda vs Atlantis conflict." This would make sense, especially considering that Namor has long been one of Marvel's greatest heroes, and it seems unlikely that he will remain a villain for the film's entire runtime. The idea that Doom could have tricked or deceived Namor into going to war with Wakanda, possibly in order to retrieve the large deposits of vibranium there, makes a lot of sense.