Some fans are confused about when exactly Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set on the MCU's timeline, but a new interview may have shed some light on how the sequel exactly fits in Phase 4.
The story of Black Panther 2 is set to continue without its leader, T'Challa, after the tragic death of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman. The sequel's official press release confirmed that Wakanda Forever will be set one year after the Wakandan King's demise, with director Ryan Coogler noting that "Shuri’s still not healing" following her brother's unfortunate fate.
The time jump has led many to speculate on whether or not the sequel will take place a full year after Avengers: Endgame while also theorizing when T'Challa actually died within the MCU's timeline.
Now, ahead of the sequel's premiere, one of the film's producers has cleared the confusion.
When Exactly Black Panther 2 is Set on the MCU Timeline?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to address the aftermath of T'Challa's death, but fans have wondered if his demise is connected to Thanos' snap.
Twitter's @ItzMrNarsio_ asked about Black Panther 2's place in the timeline, with the user wondering if it is set before the events of Avengers: Endgame:
"In chronological order, when does Black Panther 2 take place ??
After Infinity War, and before endgame right ?During the 5 years of Thanos' snap ¿"
In his latest tweet, @evansluswili questioned if the sequel will make sense to those fans who have no idea about the MCU timeline:
"So you think Black Panther will make sense to y'all guys who have no idea about the MCU timeline?
Just a flat out question."
#WakandaForever
To address the confusion, CinemaBlend was able to directly ask Marvel Studios and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore when exactly the sequel takes place on the MCU timeline.
When responding to the question, Moore admitted that he can't answer the exact year, but he noted that he can tell them "where it sits in the other movies:"
“Oh boy, in terms of years? I couldn’t tell you– I could tell you where it sits in the other movies, because I would try to do it somewhat chronologically. But if you ask me, if you held a gun to my head, honestly I probably would get it wrong.”
Moore then confirmed that Wakanda Forever "clearly happens after [Spider-Man: No Way Home] and Eternals," with the producer also indicating that it "probably" happens "concurrent" with Thor: Love and Thunder and "almost concurrent" with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania:
CinemaBlend: “So what do you say between the movies then?”
Moore: “Yeah I mean, look if you think about… This movie clearly happens after No Way Home and Eternals. I think it probably happens potentially concurrent with [Thor: Love and Thunder]. New Asgard does exist in our universe, for instance, or in our film. And almost concurrent with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which is coming out in February.”
When developing the story, CinemaBlend then asked how far the sequel's creatives went in determining what has been happening in Wakanda since the first Black Panther movie up until the beginning of the upcoming film.
Moore shared that Angela Bassett's Queen Ramonda was "determined" to occupy the vacant seat on the throne, confirming that it ultimately led to the conflict between her and Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia:
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, something Joe [Robert Cole] and I had to sit down and talk with Nate [Moore] about… just kind of establishing like that backstory, because we needed to know it for ourselves, but also our actors are very serious about their craft. That’s gonna be the first thing they ask when they show up, like, ‘Alright, so what’s been happening? Where am I at? And we decided that after T’Challa and Shuri were snapped away, while Thanos and all the damage that happened in the invasion of Wakanda by Thanos’ army, that the vacant seat on the throne was determined to be occupied by Ramonda. So that decision went a very long way… it led to the conflict between Ramonda and Nakia and causing Nakia to leave. So that decision right there started to inform more.”
Will Black Panther 2 Acknowledge Phase 4 Events?
The endings of both Spider-Man: No Way Home and Eternals have massive ramifications for the MCU, with the former dealing with the Multiversal shenanigans at the Statue of Liberty while the latter revealed the body of a Celestial coming out of the ocean.
That said, given that Wakanda Forever is set after these movies, it's possible that the sequel could at least reference these events through either dialogue or visual Easter eggs.
Moreover, Nate Moore's confirmation that Black Panther 2's events are happening "almost" concurrent with Ant-Man 3 could hint that it might showcase subtle Phase 5 connections that Disney teased in its official press release.
From a story perspective, the extensive time jump after T'Challa's death also allows the sequel to explore how its characters would react and move forward after his demise. All of these signs further cement that Wakanda Forever is poised to be an emotional ride that would push grief and moving on at its forefront.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to premiere in theaters on Friday, November 11.
