Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will bring the return of notable characters from Wakanda, one of them being Danai Gurira's Okoye. The MCU mainstay has been part of the franchise since 2018's Black Panther, with the Dora Milaje warrior playing significant roles in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame following her debut.
Although plot details of Wakanda Forever are still being kept under wraps, it has been confirmed to pay tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman while also giving much larger roles to other characters, such as Okoye and Letitia Wright's Shuri. Set photos and videos have revealed that the Wakandan pair will be involved in intense action sequences while also meeting Riri Williams, who will become the MCU's Ironheart.
While Okoye's fate in Wakanda Forever is still unknown, reports suggest that the character has a bright future ahead even though the actress remains mum about the subject.
Danai Gurira Plays Coy about Black Panther Spin-off
During a sitdown with Variety, Okoye star Danai Gurira was asked if she would be featured in a potential Disney+ spin-off series starring her Wakandan warrior. As expected, the MCU veteran kept silent about her involvement in such a project and her upcoming role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
In February 2021, Marvel confirmed that Black Panther director and co-writer Ryan Coogler will develop a Disney+ series revolving around a drama based in the Kingdom of Wakanda.
Fast forward to May 2021, The Hollywood Reporter unveiled that Gurira will be reprising her role as Okoye in an unspecified "origin spinoff series" on Disney+, though it was unclear then if this is the previously reported Kingdom of Wakanda series or a different project.
To provide further clarification, a report dated May 28 2021 from Deadline revealed that Gurira would be reprising her Okoye role on Disney+ in her own spin-off series, with the actress also making an appearance in Coogler's Wakanda-based Disney+ series.
This report implied then that the spinoff starring the Black Panther actress is a completely new show and will be separate from the Kingdom of Wakanda series announced in early 2021.
In July 2021, The Ronin shared that the upcoming Wakanda Disney+ series received an LLC (limited liability company), which is Maglev Train Productions.
In an exclusive interview with The Direct in April 2021, Janeshia Adams-Ginyard, who plays Dora Milaje soldier Nomble in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, expressed interest in reprising her role in a potential Disney+ spin-off series.
Martin Freeman, who plays Everett Ross in Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther, didn't count himself out of being potentially being involved in the Wakanda series on Disney+, teasing that "there are other bits that continue to be a little surprise" and that he "feels very, very lucky" to get to take part in these little bonus parts as well.
What's Next for Wakanda's Okoye?
This isn't the first time that an MCU veteran dodged a question about his or her future with the franchise. There's a strong chance that Danai Gurira was tasked by Marvel Studios to not say anything about the project during press interviews, especially after reports teased how the studio trains its actors to not spoil upcoming shows.
Still, given the plethora of evidence and reports that came in about the Wakanda-based Disney+ series, it's reasonable to assume that the project will soon arrive on the streaming service. Given that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has yet to premiere, it's possible that an official announcement will be saved for a later date, considering that the plot of the series could have huge spoilers related to the MCU sequel.
On the flip side, given how big Marvel Studios' presence is expected to be at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, the Okoye-led spin-off series could be announced during the event. This comes after a report revealed that Wakanda Forever will make "big waves" at the event, and one way to do it is to announce one or even multiple spin-off series set in the fictional African nation.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to premiere in theaters on Friday, November 11.
