Black Panther 2: Release date, cast, rumours and theories

Since Black Panther proved such a blockbuster, a sequel was inevitable, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed one in March. With the sequel announced so close to the release of the original film, it will be a while before many details begin to trickle out, writes Cnet.com’s Gael Fashingbauer Cooper.
Plus, just two months after the release of Black Panther , we visited Wakanda again in Avengers: Infinity War , which featured T’Challa ( Chadwick Boseman ), Shuri (Letitia Wright), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and others in an enormous battle scene set in the African country (poor Okoye just wanted a Starbucks , or maybe the Olympics).
As information about Marvel’s Black Panther 2 rolls out, we will collect it here, and try and separate the confirmed facts from the rumours and theories. (Right now, rumours and theories are almost all we have, but truths will eventually trickle out)

Release date:

When Feige confirmed Black Panther 2, telling Entertainment Weekly , “we absolutely will do (a sequel),” he did not give many specifics, and certainly not a release date. But one look at the jam-packed Marvel movie schedule gives some clues. Captain Marvel and Avengers 4 are due in 2019, and that is way too early to film a second trip to Wakanda anyway. Even 2020 seems like a reach.

Striking while the hero is hot is a great idea, but our guess is that 2021 is the earliest we will see Black Panther 2, whatever it ends up being named. Also, Marvel has an open date for an unnamed movie on February 18th, 2022. That is almost exactly four years after the first Black Panther movie and would give the series a nice continuation, but do not take our word for it. Hollywood is full of surprises!

Fiege, however did say Marvel will not be announcing any post Avengers 4 movies, until Avengers 4 comes out in 2019.

Per what we know about who will be directing the sequel, it seems clear Marvel will do what it takes to get director Ryan Coogler back behind the scenes. When asked by Variety if Coogler would direct the sequel, Feige said, “I hope so,” and that he “absolutely” wanted him back. Barring some contract-talk collapse, he will be back.

Plot rumours:

“Panther has been around for more than half a century in the comic books and there are many, many stories to tell,” Feige told Variety. “Panther has a rich history. He has fought the KKK, battled a coup from within Wakanda, dealt with a Skrull invasion, and saved Queen Ramonda from a white supremacist. Many of the stories from the comics would translate well to the big screen,” he added.

Dear Wakandans, for popular storylines, it will be to reference the comics .

Forget our distorted imagination of the plot, we can be sure we are going to be back in Wakanda for the sequel. Or at least a bit of Wakanda.

“Anchor point is a good way of (describing Wakanda), particularly as some of our other anchor points, Asgard for instance, are gone,” Feige told EW.

Wakanda is a fascinating land that fans have only begun to experience, and Marvel is well aware the country has many more secrets to unfold. I mean… the Avengers had to take a fight there just to get a chance to visit. #WakandaForever!!!

The Cast:

If you have seen Avengers: Infinity War , you know King T’Challa is one of the many characters who

fades into a weird kind of dusty death when Thanos rebalances the universe.

It is possible, however, that not all of the Wakandans will return. No way will Marvel get rid of Okoye or T’Challa’s tech wizard sister, Shuri. We do not know much about M’Baku (Winston Duke) and W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya (apparently he is now Okoye’s husband ).

Naturally, nothing is confirmed, but as we just mentioned, you can bet your Vibranium holdings Chadwick Boseman will be back, and likely most of the first film’s cast. Here is a reminder of who they are:

Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa/Black Panther)

Letitia Wright (Shuri)

Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia)

Danai Gurira (Okoye)

Martin Freeman (CIA employee Everett K. Ross)

Daniel Kaluuya (W’Kabi)

Winston Duke (M’Baku)

Angela Bassett (Ramonda, mother of T’Challa)

Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) was a great villain in the first Black Panther movie. His fate seems pretty final, but you never know in the Marvel universe.

Kendrick Lamar, who curated and produced the Black Panther soundtrack, has said he would love to play Killmonger or someone like him . Director Ryan Coogler told Yahoo Movies he had interest in another Panther villain, Kraven the Hunter, but it sounds as if the Sony series of movies has plans for Kraven, likely in a Spider-Man movie.

In the comics, Black Panther married Storm of the X-Men, and if the Disney-Fox merger proceeds as planned, the X-Men could enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary . Storm is an Africa-born mutant raised in America and credited as the first major female character of African descent in comics. Her powers include flight and the ability to control weather, and she’s an expert markswoman, thief and skilled fighter. Halle Berry has played her in four films. In the comics, Storm and Black Panther are childhood sweethearts who marry and eventually divorce. In the movies, marriage is probably out of the question, but romance is always on the table. Storm could set off some thunder and lightning in Wakanda and threaten Nakia and T’Challa’s relationship. We do not mind some “storm” in our tea cup.

More than one sequel?

With the enormous success of Black Panther , it is safe to say there may be as many sequels as fans are willing to watch. Producer Nate Moore told Screen Rant the Wakanda characters will show up in other films as well.