In a few months, Marvel Studios will revisit the world of Wakanda in the MCU with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the franchise's 30th movie since 2008. Even with the recent pandemic-induced struggles that the MCU has had, however, Black Panther 2 has dealt with far bigger troubles after tragically losing actor Chadwick Boseman.
Boseman passed away in August 2020 after battling colon cancer, partially turning Black Panther 2 into a tribute to the actor's legacy in the MCU as T'Challa departs in the story. Other leading characters like Letitia Wright's Shuri and Danai Gurira's Okoye will do their best to fill that void, although there are still only a few details about how this will all come together.
As Marvel makes its presence felt at San Diego-Comic-Con 2022, anticipation is building to see what comes in the first trailer that was confirmed to arrive during Marvel's epic Saturday night panel.
Now that panel is officially here, and Marvel Studios shared the first look with the MCU fandom as Black Panther returns to the spotlight.
Black Panther 2 Trailer Revealed
During Marvel Studios' presentation in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, it shared the first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
This trailer included a nod to the late Chadwick Boseman, who starred as T'Challa in the first Black Panther movie in 2018. His image came on a piece of art in the streets of Wakanda, helping the people remember their fallen king:
Nearly all of the major stars from the first movie made impactful appearances in this trailer, including Letitia Wright's Shuru, Danai Gurira's Okoye, and Winston Duke's M'Baku. The leader of the Jabari tribe was seen sitting on his throne with a concerned look on his face:
Lupita Nyong'o returns in this footage as Nakia, who will have to mourn the loss of her love, T'Challa, throughout most of the film:
Michaela Coel makes her MCU debut as Aneka, who has deep connections to the Dora Milaje in Marvel Comics:
The trailer also heavily focused on the introduction of Atlantis in the MCU, showing off its underwater prowess and armies. In the midst of those reveals was Namor the Sub-Mariner, played by Tenoch Huerta, who finally made his first appearance as the aquatic warrior:
Huerta is seen from the front in another shot, providing a full look at his face and the Atlantean garb he will don in this movie. He appears to be on his knees in this scene, although it's unclear where he is or who is with him:
There also appears to be the first look at an important supporting character of Namor named Namora, who is the Atlantean king's cousin:
In thrilling fashion, the final shot of the trailer brought the return of the iconic vibranium Black Panther suit. The outfit comes with a new design as the claws emerge from the hand, although the most shocking part is that Marvel doesn't reveal who's actually wearing the suit as Wakanda's lead fighter:
The full trailer can be seen below:
Wakanda Foverver Brings the Heat
"Have I not given everything?!"
To put it simply, this trailer brings firepower from both an emotional standpoint and with the action that will be seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Chadwick Boseman gets a touching tribute in the form of a massive piece of art in the streets, depicting the late King T'Challa as he looks over his people from the afterlife. This is sure to be far from the only reference to the actor and his iconic character, especially considering how deep this trailer's song was with a version of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry."
It also brought back nearly every major supporting player from the original Black Panther, who opened up fans' tear ducts as they keep the hero's legacy alive in this sequel. Hearing Angela Bassett's Ramonda cry out about having given everything for her family while Shuri and Okoye fight for their country's future is sure to bring back some emotional memories throughout the plot.
Potentially even more exciting is the first official look at Tenoch Huerta's Namor, as he finally makes his MCU debut following a long-standing rights issue with Universal Studios. Following years of teases, Atlantis will finally be fully explored in Black Panther 2 as Huerta brings a powerful new warrior and leader into the mix.
Fans even got their first glimpse of Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams as she shared in a fun moment with Shuri in Wakanda's underground labs. She's said to be an important part of the plot before her own solo Ironheart Disney+ series in Fall 2023, and her ties to the Wakandans should be important to keep in mind moving forward.
In all, director Ryan Coogler seems to have delivered a touching and epic new adventure - one which has the responsibility of closing out the MCU's Phase 4. Only a few months remain until fans see how it pays tribute to Chadwick Boseman and moves the MCU narrative forward.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will debut in theaters on November 11.
