As theBlack Panther: Wakandapremieres edges closer, the film’s latest trailer finally shed some light on who will assume the African superhero’s identity moving forward, and while many took those images as near confirmation, some MCU fans have a few observations.
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverhas so far released two full trailers, with the first one showing the lower part of a Black Panther’s body, whereas the new one showed a slim female figure with Shuri’s distinctive face paint adorning the mask. Nevertheless, even if it makes sense to have Shuri succeed in her brother’s footsteps per the comic book tradition, a far less obvious shot in the teaser gives a glimpse at what is possibly another mystery Black Panther.
RELATED:Marvel: 9 Villains That Could Appear In EA Motive’s Iron Man
Among those keen eyes is a Twitter user by the name of The Canadian Lad (@thecanadianbrat), whose trademark is watching footage at 0.25x speed to find every hidden detail. This includes spotting another supposed Black Panther popping up behind Namor at the 1:29 mark in the new trailer. Although this could very well be the same person who shows up at the end of the trailer, by zooming into the video in high resolution it’s possible to see this mask lacks Shuri’s white dotted tribal art, thus fueling speculation that there may bemore than one Black Panther in the movie.
There are many theories that might go towards explaining what is really seen here since both the suit and its wearer’s body when they jump look practically the same as the actual outfit at the end of the trailer. Yet it could very well be Nakia or some other warrior from Wakanda. Another possible explanation is that the footage belongs to anearlier version ofBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverwhere the face paint features had not been added or removed, a common strategy for Marvel Studios.
In her most recent interviews, Letitia Wright has shied away from talking about the new Black Panther’s identity and considering the film’s marketing has put all of its women on the forefront, it’s easy to imagine a case where Queen Ramonda, Shuri, and even elite Dora Milaje like Okoye could temporarily wear a Black Panther outfit. At the same time, even if most signs point to a woman picking up the mantle, there’s also a case to be made forMichael B. Jordan to cameo as Black Panther.
Trulyreplacing Chadwick Boseman is impossible, however, his death has madeBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverone of the most exciting, emotional, and unique films out there, so it’s up to anyone’s guess as to how its plot will play out.
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreveris scheduled to release in theaters on July 28, 2025.
MORE:Deadpool 3: 10 Villains Who Could Be Great For The Hugh Jackman Ryan Reynolds Movie
