Greetings, intrepid readers! Welcome to my biweekly storytelling blog. Here, we’ll be examining various facets of storytelling in different mediums. I’ve found such musings helpful in my own writings, and I hope you’ll find it to be of similar help. If nothing else, I hope this is a fun and entertaining diversion. For today’s topic, we will be analyzing several characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to determine which one should be the next one to become the Black Panther.
The untimely death of Chadwick Boseman hangs heavy over the film industry, and particularly the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His impeccable portrayal of King T’Challa has garnered universal acclaim, and deservedly so. As such, his character was poised to become one of the central figures in Phase Four of the Marvel films, alongside Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Captain Marvel. Sadly, this will no longer be the case. Marvel Studios has already confirmed that they will not recast the role of T’Challa, cementing Boseman’s legendary status in the role. This, however, raises a new question. Who will become the new Black Panther in the upcoming film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? That is the question I will attempt to answer in today’s blog.
A couple of stipulations. First, I am working under the assumption that an existing character will assume the mantle of Black Panther. While it’s certainly possible that an entirely new character could be in the works, I think it’s far more likely for an established character in the continuity to step up. Second, this is not an attempt to answer which actor or actress would be the best in the role, but to analyze which character would make the most sense. These thoughts are my opinions only, so please don’t get offended if you disagree with my views.
It’s important to remember that Wakanda has specific laws governing the lines of succession. Traditionally, the Black Panther comes from the Golden Tribe, which is Wakanda’s royal family. In most instances, the Black Panther is also King or Queen, though there can be exceptions, such as T’Chaka retaining the title of King while relinquishing the mantle of Black Panther to his son, T’Challa, due to the former’s old age.
In addition to the Golden Tribe, Wakanda has five other tribes, each associated with the River, the Border, the Mountain, the Merchants, and the Mines. Once a year, Challenge Day allows any of these tribes to put forth a warrior to challenge the sitting ruler for the throne. A challenge may also come from any member of the royal family, down as far as cousins, nieces, and nephews. If a challenge is given, the Black Panther must face their challenger in ritual combat, stripped of their superhuman abilities and without the use of technologically advanced weapons. The challenge only ends with death or surrender, and the winner is given the Heart-Shaped Herb bestowing upon them the power of the Black Panther.
The Heart-Shaped Herb is another interesting point, as Killmonger had the entire crop burned after becoming king in Black Panther. This raises the question of if the new Black Panther will even have superhuman abilities. Though it’s entirely plausible that they will not, I contend they eventually will. I see it as very likely that a quest or mission to find more of the Heart-Shaped Herb will be an important plot point in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This represents an additional challenge the new king or queen must overcome, allowing for more facets to their character and the kingdom of Wakanda.
As I analyze these five characters and their chances of becoming the new Black Panther, the laws of succession will be a heavy influence on the results. Now, with the preamble out of the way, let’s crown the new Black Panther!
Candidate #1: Erik Killmonger
Any discussion of a new Black Panther has to start with Killmonger. After all, he’s already claimed the mantle once, even if he technically lost the challenge, since T’Challa did not die or surrender. He absolutely has the skill and desire to win the mantle in ritual combat. Even without the abilities of the Black Panther, he possesses peak athleticism, a brutal fighting style, and a lifetime of military training. Combine this with his ruthless, uncaring attitude about killing anyone who stands in his way, and he would have to be considered the favorite – if he were still alive.
This is the first fatal flaw of Killmonger’s candidacy. He is, in fact, dead. Marvel would have to pull out some Vibranium Voodoo to say he never really died or something like that, but I see that as extremely unlikely. There could be a multiverse solution to bringing his character back, as we’ve seen from What if…? Still, I view Killmonger as the least likely to become the new Black Panther because of his second fatal flaw – he’s a villain, not an anti-hero. He may be a compelling and interesting villain, but he’s still undeniably evil in his methods. The film Black Panther proved why a man like Killmonger must never sit on the throne of Wakanda. Even the alternate-reality version of Killmonger was a murderous, back-stabbing, power-hungry sociopath. Even if he were still alive, his character would need a long redemption arc before he could be considered even remotely worthy of the mantle of Black Panther.
Candidate #2: Shuri
Shuri is T’Challa’s younger sister and a technological genius on the same level as Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Her scientific skills are unparalleled, and she has plenty of attitude and personality to boot. It would definitely be a fun ride seeing her become Queen of Wakanda. From my online research, she seems to be the fan favorite to become the new Black Panther, and if it were a decision made solely based on the actress, I’d be inclined to agree.
As a character, however, I have a hard time seeing Shuri becoming the new Black Panther. While her brilliance can’t be denied, we have not known her to have the heart of a warrior. Yes, she bravely entered into battle against Killmonger and Thanos’ army, but that was with the aid of her Vibranium gauntlets. I seriously doubt a powerful ranged weapon like that would be allowed in ritual combat, leading me to believe Shuri would not have the physical prowess needed to win the mantle of Black Panther. It would be compelling to see Leticia Wright in the lead, but as a character, Shuri doesn’t make much sense to me.
Candidate #3: Okoye
Now, we’re getting serious. Okoye looks to have all the makings of the next Black Panther. She’s a fearsome warrior both armed and unarmed, possesses incredible leadership potential, and is loyal to Wakanda above all else. My only misgiving about Okoye is her willingness to leave Agent Ross to die after he took a bullet for Nakia in Black Panther. I can understand her position, but it still didn’t sit well with me. Still, Okoye’s combat skills are superb, but an even greater advantage is her natural leadership. She was previously the top general of the elite Dora Milaje even before T’Challa took the throne. In addition, it seems logical that she became one of Wakanda’s top leaders in the five years following The Snap, considering both T’Challa and Shuri did not survive. T’Challa’s mother, Ramonda, could have assumed the official role of Queen, but Okoye’s communications with Natasha Romanoff make clear her high rank in post-Snap Wakanda. So, we have a winner, right?
As Lee Corso would say, not so fast, my friend! There’s no question about Okoye’s ability to win the mantle of Black Panther. The real question is, would she seek the mantle? In her own words, she is loyal to the throne of Wakanda, no matter who sits upon it. This characterizes her as a strong military leader who loves her nation and seeks the good of that nation, even if it puts her in conflict with her fellow citizens on occasion. To me, Okoye strikes me as very similar to American general George Patton in this regard. Like Okoye, Patton was a warrior’s general, always present near the battle with his men. Patton, for all his brash opinions, never harbored political aspirations of his own. He considered himself a military man before all else. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Okoye felt much the same way. That could possibly change, as we don’t know how Okoye’s mindset may have shifted in the five years without T’Challa, but as it sits right now, I could see her not wanting the mantle at all.
Candidate #4: Nakia
Nakia is Wakanda’s top War Dog spy and T’Challa’s lover. She represents the interventionalist pull on T’Challa in contrast to Okoye’s more isolationist stance. Though they don’t agree on everything, T’Challa always wants Nakia close to him as a friend and confidant. Immediately after learning about T’Chaka killing his own brother, T’Challa seeks out Nakia before anyone else. After Killmonger is thwarted and T’Challa regains the throne, he puts Nakia in charge of Wakanda’s international outreach. Why do I mention all of this? You’ll find out in a minute.
As far as combat, Nakia is a proud warrior. She proved to be a dangerous opponent when she entered the battle against Killmonger and had no qualms engaging him up close with her signature Ring Blade weapons. In addition, she stood ready at T’Challa’s first Challenge Day in the event the River Tribe decided to challenge for the throne. In short, she is a strong warrior who could certainly win the mantle of Black Panther in ritual combat.
Nakia is another character for whom the question must be asked, would she seek the mantle of Black Panther? At first, the answer would seem to be no. In the film, Queen Ramonda urges Nakia to consume the final Heart-Shaped Herb after they fear T’Challa dead, but Nakia refuses. She reasons that she is a spy, which makes her untrustworthy of such power. I, however, theorize that this has likely changed in the years since. In her role as ambassador for Wakanda, Nakia would have had the opportunity to grow her leadership skills, as well as learn more about the world without being seen as a spy. Would her time as ambassador have given Nakia the confidence to seek the mantle of Black Panther? I consider it very likely.
Candidate #5: M’Baku
Finally, we look at the Great Gorilla and Lord of the Jabari Tribe himself, M’Baku. For years, the Jabari chose to isolate themselves from the rest of Wakanda, only reappearing to occasionally challenge for the throne. M’Baku’s challenge to T’Challa was quite noteworthy, as he had the prince on the ropes for much of the fight, proving his capability as a warrior.
Yet as much as M’Baku projects himself as a brutal, intimidating leader, he shows flashes of his true nature. He is staunchly traditionalist, but not so stubborn as to ignore T’Challa’s pleas to surrender the challenge once at T’Challa’s mercy. He is a man of honor, helping save T’Challa’s life after his first battle with Killmonger, and even refusing the Heart-Shaped Herb from Nakia, knowing it would heal T’Challa. He also has a sense of humor, even if it’s slightly twisted, as shown when he threatens to feed Agent Ross to his children before then explaining they’re vegetarian. For all his traditionalist views, M’Baku has shown more capacity for growth and nuance than all of the other characters mentioned. By the end of Black Panther, he has led the Jabari in combat to help T’Challa retake the throne and has been named to King T’Challa’s Tribal Council.
More than any other character, I consider M’Baku to be the best fit to be the new Black Panther and King of Wakanda. He is a fearless warrior with a surprisingly big heart. He holds firm to his beliefs, even going so far as to call out T’Challa for referring to the Jabari as “us” after centuries of kings had refused to acknowledge the Jabari. Yet he is more than willing to listen to dissenting views, even if he disagrees with them. I have no specific examples of this, but M’Baku’s appointment to the Tribal Council and his true friendship with T’Challa, evidenced by referring to the King as Brother in Infinity War, show this side of his personality. M’Baku would be a very different Black Panther from T’Challa but is worthy of the title all the same.
Conclusion
Of the five most likely characters, I rank M’Baku as the top potential Black Panther. He’s followed closely by Nakia, then Okoye, then Shuri, and finally Killmonger. Of course, I have no idea what Marvel wants to do with these characters going forward, so I could be completely off base. This is simply my opinion based on the established character traits each possesses and the rules we’ve seen in the films so far. From a storytelling perspective, I definitely think M’Baku would make the most compelling Black Panther, not only with him being a traditionalist but also in forcing him to work closely with Shuri, whom M’Baku has previously called a child who scoffs at tradition. I can see them rubbing each other the wrong way, making for some fun situations in the next film. Regardless of who is chosen, I have high hopes for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
I hope you enjoyed this look into the inner workings of Wakanda and the fascinating characters inhabiting it. Such a cast of characters, each with different personalities and methods, is what can help make a good story into a great one.
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Thanks for reading. I’ll see you in two weeks!
M. H. Barton
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