Black Panther may have forced Namor to yield but is now in unchartered waters. While “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” does set the stage for Ironheart and Thunderbolts, we do not yet have any idea where the main character, Shuri’s Black Panther, is headed. There are possibilities about where she will turn up, but they are in the distant future.
Ironheart
We have all seen the chemistry that Shuri and Riri Williams share. Shuri gave Riri the means to create her own suit, while Riri brought to Shuri a companionship akin to the one Shuri shared with her brother T’Challa. So, we might just see this companionship develop forward in the upcoming Disney+ Ironheart show. The series will probably traverse the backstory of Riri and how she became the Ironheart we all know now. However, there are always people trying to wreak havoc, and considering how young Riri is, she might need Black Panther’s help and experience in facing the threats.
Secret Invasion
The upcoming “Secret Invasion” series that will show the Skrulls invade Earth will also deal with the repercussions of the Kree-Skrull War (MCU’s “Captain Marvel”). On television, the Kree Skrull War has been referred to in Prisoner of War (Season 2- Episode 10 of “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” (2010)). The episode also showed a Skrull disguised as Black Panther. With “Secret Invasion” dealing with Skrulls in a full-fledged manner, there is a chance that we might see one of them become Shuri, if not Black Panther.
Interestingly, it was also after the Kree-Skrull War that the Illuminati was formed. Its members include Doctor Strange, Mister Fantastic, Namor, Iron-Man, Black Bolt, Professor Charles Xavier, Black Panther, and even Ghost Rider (who was supposed to be a member of the Illuminati in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” but was edited out of the final cut), among others. While Iron Man is dead and Mister Fantastic won’t make his arrival till 2025, we have to see how the others come face-to-face with each other and if they form an alliance because it would be so cool. Period. In the comics, the “Secret Invasion” is the event where The Cabal, led by The Leader, appears for the first time. This brings us to the next project where Black Panther can show up.
Captain America: New World Order
With a probable release date of May 3, 2024, it is certain that “Captain America: New World Order” will introduce Sam Wilson as the new Captain America. In the comics, the New World Order is a villainous organization headed by Red Skull, but since he is dead in the MCU, we get a new leader who is equally, if not more, sinister, i.e., Samuel Sterns, AKA The Leader. Nate Moore, VP of Production and Development at Marvel Studios, has confirmed that Samuel Sterns (played by Tim Blake Nelson in 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk”) will make his return in the film. Sterns is a full-fledged archnemesis of the Hulk. Exposure to gamma radiation catalyzed his brain functions and made him perhaps one of the most intelligent beings in the universe. However, since Hulk’s film rights still remain partially with Universal Pictures, it will be some time before Hulk gets his next solo project in the MCU. Thus, The Leader might not face him but someone of much more significance. This is where “Captain America: New World Order” comes in.
In 2013’s animated series Avengers Assemble, The Leader assembles his own secret team of Supervillains called Cabal (formed by Norman Osborn in the comics) that includes Kang the Conqueror, Enchantress (one of whose two aliases is Sylvie Lushton, a character that 2021’s Loki’s Sylvie Laufeydottir was partially based on) among others. But it is highly unlikely for The Leader to assemble the Cabal, as we already know that Kang is the main villain of Phases 5 and 6. So it will be Kang who hires the leader. However, the leader might contact Kang and speak to him about his plan.
In the TV show, the Cabal stole vibranium to set a trap for the Avengers. This eventually led to Black Panther forming the New Avengers to fight the Cabal. This new Avengers team consisted of Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, the Vision, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. In the comics, the members include Black Panther, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Mister Fantastic, and Namor, among others. Since all these characters are already in the MCU, we can expect at least some of them to turn up in “Captain America: New World Order,” especially Black Panther. While it is doubtful if Shuri’s Black Panther will form the group in the MCU since she is inexperienced compared to Sam Wilson’s Captain America, she will definitely be on the team. It will be Sam who gathers the superheroes against the leader. So, as we see, this is how Black Panther can show up in “Captain America: New World Order.”
Avengers: Secret Wars
“Avengers: Secret Wars,” without a doubt, is one of the greatest events that had taken place in the Marvel comic book universe. Naturally, the film too will have a lot to show, and many superheroes will be involved. In the comics (1984), heroes and villains from multiple universes are pitted against each other on a battlefield in a far-away galaxy by a cosmic being known as The Beyonder. In 2015’s Secret Wars comic series, alternate universes collide with each other, and pieces of them combine to form the Battleworld, a world whose control was taken over from The Beyonder by Doctor Victor Von Doom, aka Dr. Doom, who then declared himself as the Ruler of the Battleworld. Black Panther and Namor work together to figure out a way to defeat Dr. Doom and are eventually able to do so with help from other heroes. Since Black Panther has a significant role in the Secret Wars comics, we can expect the character to be of significance in the MCU’s “Avengers: Secret Wars” as well.
Marvel president Kevin Feige has already stated that “Avengers: Secret Wars” will be a giant monster of a superhero film, even surpassing “Avengers: Endgame” in its grandeur. It will have every major character in the MCU, including the three Spider-Men. Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland have already agreed. So, you can imagine the rest. “Fantastic Four” is slated for release in 2025, a year before “Avengers: Secret Wars,” so Doctor Doom has ample time to establish himself as a dark villain before playing his part in “Avengers: Secret Wars,” seemingly alongside Kang the Conqueror.
Expected Release Date
Black Panther thus has a long way to go in the MCU, and we can only hope that the spirit of the Panther lives strong forever. Glory to Bast. “Ironheart” will come out on Disney Plus in late 2023 and “Secret Invasion” has an expected release date on Disney Plus in spring 2023. While “Captain America: New World Order” is probably going to arrive in theaters on May 3, 2024, and “Avengers: Secret Wars” has an expected release date of May 1, 2026, so far. Let’s see what comes next.
See more: Women Of Wakanda, Explained: Role Of Ramonda And Shuri In The ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
