New evidence suggests that Avengers: Doomsday may be adding a second Black Panther. The MCU got its first-ever Black Panther in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, as Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa carried the mantle until 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Sadly, the Wakandan mantle was passed on in 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, following Boseman's passing, with his sister, Letitia Wright's Shuri, donning the suit, as she will again in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Beyond that, Marvel Studios is already lining up a new Black Panther for Black Panther 3, as David Jonsson will step into the suit as T'Challa's son.
DisTrackers spotted the first look at Avengers: Doomsday's Bitty Pop! range, featuring mini Funko figures for Doctor Doom, the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and, most notably, Letitia Wright's Shuri, aka Black Panther. The Wakandan figure is labeled "Black Panther (Shuri)," and the need to clarify that this is Shuri's figure may suggest that she won't be Doomsday's only Black Panther.
When it came to Shuri's superhero-suited Funko for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, there was no bracketed clarification of her identity under the mask.
The distinction for Avengers: Doomsday may be the strongest sign yet that the Phase 6 blockbuster will feature multiple Black Panthers, especially given previous rumors that the next iteration of Wakanda's protector may arrive before Phase 7.
Interestingly, scooper Daniel Richtman once stated that the next Black Panther would be introduced in Avengers: Doomsday, before later changing his tune and declaring that his debut had been delayed one year until Avengers: Secret Wars.
The new Black Panther in question will be T'Challa II, the son of Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, who appeared in his youth in Wakanda Forever. Director Ryan Coogler announced at San Diego Comic-Con that T'Challa II "grows up" ahead of Black Panther 3, to now be played by The Long Walk star David Jonsson, and many are convinced that he will appear first in Avengers 5 and 6.
While one could note that Jonsson seemingly hadn't yet been cast as T'Challa II when Doomsday was in production last year, Marvel Studios reportedly held reshoots recently to add new "cameos" into the equation. Those were rumors to include Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Hulk, and the X-Men, but it's entirely possible that Jonsson also came along to set up his larger MCU role to come.
Regardless if T'Challa II finds his way into Doomsday at the last minute, the main Black Panther for this Multiversal crisis will be Shuri. The MCU blockbuster will be Shuri's second time carrying the mantle after Black Panther 2, and many have theorized that she will enlist in Sam Wilson's new Avengers team.
Avengers: Doomsday will officially include five Black Panther characters when it finally hits theaters on December 18, including Letitia Wright's Shuri, Winston Duke's King M'Baku, and Tenoch Huerta's Namor. The former rivals will come together to face Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom and the Multiversal Incursions.
How the Black Panther(s) Fit Into Avengers: Doomsday's Narrative
Nobody really knows how Letitia Wright's Shuri fits into Avengers: Doomsday, as she wasn't one of the Avengers spotted visiting the Fox X-Men Earth. The early trailers featured her and the Wakandans meeting with members of the Fantastic Four and the New Avengers, although their exact mission remains unclear.
Perhaps they will go on some mission to try and prevent the final Incursion from putting an end to the Multiverse, while other heroes travel to the X-Men's reality to prevent them from destroying Earth-616 in an act of self-preservation. Although it's also easy to imagine the Wakandans providing the numbers for the Avengers' ranks, if Doomsday features another Endgame-esque large-scale clash.
One rumor claimed that Reed Richards and Victor von Doom will plan to "build special cannons" on each Earth to launch them apart, and Shuri could help make that a reality, given her genius intellect that goes with her heroism.
It remains unclear exactly how T'Challa II will age from his six-year-old self in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to being played by 33-year-old David Jonsson now. There is bound to be some time travel shenanigans at play that could occur toward the end of Doomsday, setting up David Jonsson's T'Challa to appear properly in Secret Wars and Black Panther 3, unless the MCU is in for its larger time skip yet.
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