Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a sequel like none other. In addition to introducing yet another civilization and potential leading character to the MCU, the sequel will address the death of its franchise's leading star and pass the torch on to its supporting cast.
While Marvel Studios films are always faced with the burden of fan expectations, Black Panther 2 is unique in that fans have few.
After all, few tentpole franchises have ever been faced with such unique and tragic circumstances and sought to incorporate them into their ongoing stories.
But as marketing continues to ramp up ahead of Wakanda Forever's release, audiences are getting an idea of the sequel Marvel Studios has in store. And now, a new confirmation has offered even more.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Rating Revealed
According to FilmRatings.com, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be rated PG-13 due to "sequences of strong violence, action and some language."
This isn't surprising since the PG-13 rating has become the norm for Phase 4 Marvel Studios films, as was the case throughout the Infinity Saga.
Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Spider-Man: No Way Home were all rated PG-13 largely due to the same reasons as Black Panther 2 for "violence," "action," and "some language."
However, other Phase 4 MCU films have earned the rating for different reasons.
For instance, Eternals earned its rating for "fantasy violence" and "brief sexuality" as it contained the MCU's first sex scene.
Meanwhile, Thor: Love and Thunder earned its PG-13 warning for a scene containing "partial nudity" which was included in the film's promotion but blurred out.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' warning differs from the others in that it stems more from genre than anything else.
Since the sequel was technically a horror flick, its MPAA description was as follows:
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images and some language.
Same Rating But More Violence in Black Panther 2?
Due to Black Panther 2's PG-13 description, it appears to be in step with most MCU films, including 2016's Black Panther.
Still, there are a few differences.
The MPAA rated the original film PG-13 for "prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture."
While it doesn't sound like Wakanda Forever will include a reprisal of Shuri's "rude gesture", the 2022 film's description warns of "strong violence" as opposed to "action violence."
Just what that will entail remains to be seen. But given the intensity of emotion and high stakes that the film's marketing has teased thus far, it's not surprising that the violence would be ratcheted up another level.
The question now is who will be responsible for bringing this new level of violence to the screen, and will it occur between Namor and the new Black Panther?
Audiences are sure to learn more about the film and what it has in store as the film's release date approaches.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on November 11.
