In the aftermath of T'Challa's death, Shuri took over the Black Panther mantle in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The move was pretty similar to the comics where we have also seen the character become Wakanda's protector so it's not really an unprecedented move in the Marvel lore.
Obviously, the decision was also made as a result of Chadwick Boseman's passing back in 2020 which prompted Marvel Studios and director Ryan Coogler to kill off T'Challa off-screen and not recast him with another actor.
As it turns out, if Boseman is still with us, we could have seen both T'Challa and Shuri take over the Black Panther mantle at the same time according to a recent interview with Letitia Wright in the Empire Podcast where she revealed that Marvel was planning to have them both serve as the Black Panther simultaneously.
"It was bittersweet. Shuri was always gonna do it. But it was gonna be done in a different way where her brother was gonna be alongside her, really explore that, like the comic books, the ways that T'Challa and Shuri would be Black Panther alongside each other and try to figure out how to defend their nation," she said.
As we all know, the plans didn't pan out due to Boseman's passing and Wright suddenly found herself as the new Black Panther and the sole individual to take the mantle in the MCU.
The actress added, "But unfortunately that's not how it panned out. I knew the responsibility, I knew the weight of it, but it was just bittersweet, something I struggled with a lot. But I'm extremely proud of myself, had great support."
Wright also discussed how she suddenly became the first female black superhero film to lead an MCU film and it also became a box office success which would hopefully lead to opening more doors.
"But now we've come to a full circle of the film being out, I'm just really proud of myself. As a black woman, being the first superhero that's a black woman in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film to do those numbers, history's being made as we sit here, and I'm a part of it, and that feels surreal," she continued.
"And that door has just been opened for another black woman to go and do that so I'm just proud, and I know my brother would be really proud of me too."
It is interesting to hear that they were planning to feature two Black Panthers in the MCU at the same time with the characters who are central figures in Wakanda. Obviously, that will never happen although we could see T'Challa's son take over the mantle as well once he's older and maybe alongside his aunt Shuri this time around.
Also Read: Black Panther 2 Had A Different Ending For Okoye, Actress Reveals
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still showing in selected theaters. It is set to arrive on Disney+ on January 20. You can check more details about it here.
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