Amidst a slew of announcements for Phase 5 and beyond, Marvel put forth new images for their highly anticipated sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Ryan Coogler‘s follow-up to his 2018 smash hit will close the door on the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4. While the task of handling the tragic passing of star Chadwick Boseman may prove difficult, Coogler and the stars are taking the utmost care with this sequel if these images and the first trailer are any indication.
The image that would likely attract the most attention is that of Namor, who is played by Tenoch Huerta (Narcos: Mexico). Fans have been clamoring for the arrival of the ruler of Atlantis, especially since Okoye’s (Danai Gurira) mention of “underwater earthquakes” in the early moments of Avengers: Endgame. Much like the trailer, there’s not a ton to go off of with this shot, though he does look intimidating. It’s clear he will cause some problems for Wakanda and its people.
Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, and Gurira all have their own respective images, providing fans their first glimpses at fan favorite characters from the first film. Bassett’s Queen Ramonda in particular looks to be struggling with the (presumable) death of her son, as she looks on thoughtfully in a few of the images. There’s a similar shot of Nyong’o’s Nakia on a beach in the set, though there’s some kind of temple in the background which could have ties to Namor and his people. Wright’s Shuri is also shown in procession wearing a white hood, in what could potentially be a celebration of life for King T’Challa (Boseman).
Notably absent from these images are any glimpses of the actual Black Panther suit. The trailer provided a quick glimpse from behind of this high-tech armor, with the iconic claws clinking out. The Dora Milaje are also clearly going to continue to play a big role in this franchise, as evidenced by both the trailer and an image in the set.
Wakanda Forever also sees the return of Winston Duke as M’Baku, Florence Kasumba as Ayo, and Martin Freeman‘s CIA agent Everett Ross. Newcomers include Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) as Aneka and Dominique Thorne (Judas and the Black Messiah) as Riri Williams/Ironheart, in addition to Huerta’s Namor. Thorne will reprise her role in the Ironheart series for Disney+. Coogler is returning to both direct and write the film, with Joe Robert Cole returning to pen the film as well.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters later this year on November 11. Check out the first images and the trailer below:
