Black Panther: Wakanda Forever came into the MCU with one post-credits scene, although that moment could have looked a whole lot different.
Marvel Studios' 30th film took a unique turn with its post-credits stinger, as Black Panther 2 became only the second Phase 4 movie to include one new moment after the credits rolled. And to close out Phase 4, while continuing to pay tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, the MCU took the opportunity to push the Black Panther legacy to new heights.
In that post-credits scene, fans meet T'Challa and Nakia's son Touissant, who is also given the Wakandan name of T'Challa in honor of his late father as he becomes the next heir to the throne.
But while that scene had a major impact on fans as Black Panther 2 came to an end, there were some different ideas on the table for the film's conclusion during the development process.
Change of Plans for Black Panther 2 Post-Credits Scene
Speaking with Newsweek, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever editor Michael P. Shawver revealed other ideas for the movie's post-credits scene that weren't included in the final cut.
Shawver noted that the movie originally ended with Nakia and her son, T'Challa, walking behind Shuri immediately after Shuri "[allows] herself to start healing" from her brother's death. But in the end, the team realized that the scene "was sort of stepping on Shuri's journey," deciding to move that moment into the post-credits scene in order to make sure that twist wasn't "taking center stage:"
"Originally, she shuts her eyes then accepts it and can begin to move forward, and then after she has that release you see Nakia and young T'Challa walk behind them and you're like, 'wait a second, what's that?' But we realized that it was sort of stepping on Shuri's journey, that twist was taking center stage when it shouldn't, when it needed to be her. And so then, as we were cutting with Ryan in the studio, we said let's move this, let's move this to the end."
The post-credits scene that made the cut for Black Panther 2 featured Nakia revealing her and T'Challa's son to Shuri after she burned her ritual funeral clothes to end the movie, allowing Shuri's final grieving moment to be uninterrupted before the credits rolled. Letitia Wright's character also had memories flashing through her head of her late brother, Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, through archival footage from past MCU movies.
Adjusted Moment Keeps Shuri's Story In the Spotlight
Chadwick Boseman's presence could be felt in nearly every moment of Black Panther 2, which is what Marvel Studios hoped to do as the movie honored the actor's legacy. This mission is seemingly what led to the decision to bring the younger T'Challa's reveal in the movie's post-credits scene, wanting the core story to end the way it started - remembering the late King of Wakanda.
This decision allowed for both moments to have the appropriate time in the spotlight, even though they take place one right after the other. Shuri was able to go through the final stages of her grieving process right alongside the audience as she laid her brother to rest. And she would then get to fully embrace her new nephew as she learned that his name would honor T'Challa's legacy even further.
Now, with no signs pointing to exactly when the Black Panther will return, fans will have plenty of time to let this story settle in as Shuri and the Wakandans look toward their future.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters worldwide.
