Wakanda Forever: Who Is the New Black Panther? Theories
The "Wakanda Forever" Trailer Teases the New Black Panther — But Who Is It?
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After briefly claiming the Black Panther powers in the first movie, could one of Marvel's best villains be headed for a surprise return? The possibility of Killmonger somehow surviving and returning to take on the Black Panther title is a very, very slim one, to be fair. The theory is largely based on the fact that Wakanda's rival in the new movie is the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, reminding some viewers of Killmonger's dying wish to be buried at sea.
From a storytelling perspective, though, that doesn't make much sense. Killmonger's arc was designed to call out Wakanda on its isolationist stance, reveal T'Challa's family secrets, and highlight the suffering of Black people around the world outside Wakandan borders. Once T'Challa took his (and Nakia's) observations to heart and made changes, Killmonger's role in the story wrapped up.