The tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman shocked the world in 2020, leaving everyone in a state of mourning. Numerous heartfelt tributes have surfaced for the fan-favorite actor ever since, and a notable one was from Marvel's decision to not recast the role of T'Challa in Black Panther 2 .
This raised the question of how the sequel will work, but Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige assured fans that the sequel will focus on exploring “the world of Wakanda and all of the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film.” That said, this presents a lot of story possibilities for the much-anticipated MCU project.
One of the characters that top the wish list of fans to return in Black Panther 2 is Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger . Playing the chief villain of the first film, Jordan earned the admiration of critics and viewers due to his impressive performance. Unfortunately, the character died at the tail-end of the 2018 blockbuster.
Now, it looks like the Creed actor is open for another round of MCU action, as evidenced by his latest interview.
MORE KILLMONGER IN THE MCU?
In an interview with Good Morning America , Michael B. Jordan opened up about his potential return as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther 2 .
When asked if he will be willing to reprise his MCU role, the actor pointed out that he “can't say too much,” but he admitted that he will gladly return if ever there will be an opportunity down the line.
“I can't say too much about that one, man. Honestly, with uh, you know with the year that we've had and the loss of a dear friend. You know, they were figuring out whatever they need to do or what's best for the franchise. They're family so if I ever have the opportunity to get back into that franchise, I would.”
The snippet of the interview can be seen below.
WHO IS THE NEXT BLACK PANTHER?
On the surface, Jordan's comment isn't surprising, mainly due to the fact that the actor already expressed his willingness to return as Killmonger in a future MCU project.
Still, the former Black Panther villain did admit that he's unaware of the franchise's direction, and it seems that he is also waiting for the call from Ryan Coogler and the Marvel executives. In a way this makes sense considering that the script for the film is still being mapped out at this point.
In MCU canon, Killmonger is dead, but anything is possible given that Black Panther is set in a world of superheroes, time-travel, and the multiverse. On top of that, it was previously announced that Coogler is developing multiple Disney+ projects for Marvel Studios , starting off with a drama based around the kingdom of Wakanda.
If one of those projects will be set in the past, Jordan's inclusion is a no-brainer, and it could provide an added layer of storytelling of how he ended up on the villainous side in the first place. Moreover, the multiverse is the prime focus of the MCU right now, and it will be easier to explain if Killmonger ended up as another universe's Black Panther that could cross over into the prime Earth of the MCU.
Clearly, there are exciting ways for Killmonger to return, and it will be interesting to find out the approach if Marvel decides to pull the trigger. If anything, the fact that Jordan is always willing to return is a good sign, and there's a strong chance that it's only a matter of time before the actor suits up once more.
