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Black Panther 2 Images Reveal First Look at Okoye & Shuri
A brand new official promotional images for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever offer the first look at Okoye and Shuri. Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright return to the MCU through the upcoming MCU sequel. Directed by Ryan Coogler, plot details for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continue to be scant at the moment, but it's expected to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman and T'Challa following the actor's untimely death back in 2020.
Currently, Disney's marketing efforts are focused on Thor: Love and Thunder. Director Taika Waititi and Chris Hemsworth's next collaboration project will continue the God of Thunder's arc in the franchise after the Infinity Saga. Beyond that, however, the MCU will shift its focus on Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The core cast from the critically-acclaimed Black Panther film from 2018 is expected to return for the sequel, although Boseman's absence will surely be a gaping hole. Nonetheless, everyone involved in the blockbuster is committed to delivering a satisfying film that also celebrates the legacy of the actor and his Marvel hero.
As Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's release date nears, promotional materials are starting to come in. That includes some tie-in marketing images with Sprite (via Black Panther 2 News), revealing the first look at Okoye and Shuri. The Dora Milaje leader is wearing her intricate battle outfit, while the Wakandan princess sports a purple long-sleeve top with a high collar. Check out the photos below:
Marvel Studios are keeping plot specifics of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever tightly under wraps, but set images and videos while it was filming have given fans an idea of what to expect from the film. For starters, it seems like Okoye and Shuri will be on a side-adventure of their own as Gurira and Wright were both spotted shooting on location visiting MIT. This implies that this will be how Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, will be tied into the narrative of the Black Panther sequel. Although it's unclear what brings them all together, it's possible that it's all part of the outreach program that T'Challa asked his younger sister to manage on the heels of Wakanda's decision to open up to the rest of the world.
With Boseman no longer around, questions about who might take over the Black Panther identity in the MCU continue to go around. For what it's worth, it's possible that this is something that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever definitively resolves. Instead, it seems like the film is putting more focus on both Okoye and Shuri as they step up given T'Challa's absence. So while the superhero mantle has no clear successor at this point, the film will focus on multiple characters and Wakanda as a whole which makes sense considering the flick's title. In any case, it's worth noting that Shuri is noticeably more serious and grown up in this image, hinting that she needs to take more responsibility in the Kingdom given her brother's absence. As for Okoye, she looks fierce, as always.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)
Release Date: Nov 11, 2022
