Marvel was left in a difficult position when current Black Panther, T’Challa’s actor Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away. With the MCU’s decision not to recast the character, they needed to figure out which character should take on the role and be the next protector of Wakanda, a decision that was definitively made in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. For those who are wondering which character replaces T’Challa as Black Panther within the MCU, Twinfinite has the answer for you right here.
Warning: Major spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever below.
T’Challa’s Replacement As Black Panther in the MCU
While it may have been the clear and most obvious choice, the MCU did choose to have Shuri, T’Challa’s sister, take on the role and become the next Black Panther. It’s something that makes perfect sense given the comic book precedence, as there was a storyline in the comics where T’Challa died, resulting in Shuri taking on the role of Wakanda’s protector.
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, after Wakanda gets flooded and her mother dies, Shuri concludes that the only one who could stop Namor is a Black Panther. Unfortunately, during the events of the first Black Panther movie, Killmonger destroyed all heart-shaped herbs in an effort to make sure he couldn’t be replaced. However, thanks to Nakia, one heart-shaped herb was retrieved, which was used to restore T’Challa as Black Panther after the throne was taken by Killmonger, which meant that with T’Challa’s death, the heart-shaped herb was gone entirely.
Thankfully for Wakanda and the Black Panther though, Shuri was able to recreate the herb’s properties, which was seemingly thanks to her research on her brother while he was sick. Shuri then proceeds to undergo a transformation and is bestowed the powers of the Black Panther by drinking her synthesized product.
That concludes everything you need to know regarding who exactly replaces T’Challa as Black Panther in the MCU. If you’re interested in checking out more coverage on the Black Panther sequel, Twinfinite has a plethora, some of which can be found down below.
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