The "Wakanda Forever" Trailer Teases the New Black Panther — But Who Is It?

The safest bet as to the identity of the new Black Panther is Shuri, T'Challa's genius younger sister. In the comic books, Shuri takes on the mantle of the Black Panther at one point while T'Challa recovers from serious injuries. Her position as the surviving heir of the Wakandan royal family, as well as her experience both in battle and in her science lab, would make her the obvious choice.

As shown in the first movie, any member of the royal bloodline from any of Wakanda's tribes can challenge for the throne (and the title of Black Panther), but the primary royal house — of which Shuri is the current heir — usually ascends the throne with relatively little conflict. It's unclear if those rules can be changed, however, which could open the door for other, non-royal successors.

A few shots in the "Wakanda Forever" trailer seem to show Shuri taking on a leadership role. However, she's still a scientist first and foremost — might she decide to turn down the Black Panther mantle and continue working behind the scenes instead?

Part of the Black Panther's job is being the first warrior of Wakanda, and in that role, Okoye would excel. The leader of the Dora Milaje has proven herself time and time again in battle, and that leadership role could certainly translate to a more public leadership position if she is called upon.

With that being said, Okoye is probably a less likely candidate to take up the Black Panther legacy. The trailer consistently shows her with the Dora Milaje, cementing her status as their leader first and foremost. As something of a stickler for tradition, Okoye doesn't seem like the kind of character who would make a claim on the throne or even accept it if offered; she's more likely to be a key advisor and guard for whoever does become the new Black Panther.

One of the most intriguing options for the new Black Panther would be Nakia, the warrior-spy who also was T'Challa's trusted advisor and his love interest. In the first movie, it is Nakia who turns out to have the "right" perspective on Wakanda's place in the world: neither isolationist, as T'Challa's family had kept it, nor vengeful, as Killmonger tried to make it, but a source of help for those in need. She's both a capable warrior and a smart, insightful leader, giving her all the qualities that the next Wakandan leader needs.

Still, Nakia is not actually a member of the existing royal family, and it's hard to imagine her putting herself forward as a candidate. If someone else asked her to take on the mantle, though, that might be a different story.

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.