Should they recast T'Challa/Black Panther or make Shuri the new Panther?

[RiXi]

Lupita is someone who can definitely carry a franchise on her shoulders. I wouldn't have a single problem with Nakia being BP.

But, personally, I really want Okoye. Maybe because she's a total bad ass and my favorite character from the movie. Hell, if you think about it, she already has history with the Avengers. Working for 5 years with them.

Say T'Challa and Nakia married off screen. T'Challa passes away. Nakia remains Queen of Wakanda. She partly inspired T'Challa to open Wakanda to the world, she'd be a good leader. She wants to be a full time Queen to help her people, so she asks Okoye to be The Black Panther.

As said in a previous post, the dynamic between Okoye, Nakia and Shuri would be the heart of the movie. Ramonda can be the wise voice for the three of them.

 

[Albright]

this could be a great girl power movie, with Nakia, Okoye, Shuri, Ayo and other Dora Milaje against the Doom, Namor or whoever the villain might be.
I would like that team-up. But we’re ignoring one thing.
Black Panther was an icon for every (black) young man and teenager. I have my doubts, that this target group they will identify with a young woman as Black Panther.

 

[WatchProtect]

this could be a great girl power movie, with Nakia, Okoye, Shuri, Ayo and other Dora Milaje against the Doom, Namor or whoever the villain might be.
I would like that team-up. But we’re ignoring one thing.
Black Panther was an icon for every (black) young man and teenager. I have my doubts, that this target group they will identify with a young woman as Black Panther.

I mean if T'Challa was an icon for young black Men, then Okoye, The Dora, Shuri, Nakia can be an icon for young black women. I'm black and when I took my nephews some of their favorite characters were the females. I doubt it'd really be an obstacle

 

[Albright]

of course, but not everyone is like you. And that doesn’t even depends on the skin color. Black Panther most certainly impressed white, black or teenagers of other skin color around the world. I doubt that lots of 16 year old young men will wear a mask or shirt of a female black panther.

 

[WatchProtect]

of course, but not everyone is like you. And that doesn’t even depends on the skin color. Black Panther most certainly impressed white, black or teenagers of other skin color around the world. I doubt that lots of 16 year old young men will wear a mask or shirt of a female black panther.

But why? It's a mask of a Black Panther? Regardless of their gender, its Black Panther. Teen age kids aren't gonna stop buying Thors hammer when Jane gets it, or wont say Hulk Smash anymore because of She Hulk. Regardless if the hypothetical boy who doesnt wear the little Roleplay mask for every boy who doesnt there could be a little girl who will, I dont think the fate of the new Black Panthers gender will rely on the fact that parents stop buying their sons Black Panther merch

 

[Frodo]

I actually don't think that just giving the mantle to Shuri or another male character taking the mantle will mean they will be automatically accepted by the majority of the film going audience.

While there will obviously be people on board with it, but I do think that alot of fandom, and perhaps even Feige himself, under estimate what T'Challa specifically as Black Panther represents to the Black community.

At the same time, I also think Fandom and perhaps Feige, overestimate the level of acceptance there will be if the mantle is changed like they've done in the comics.

In the Black community and in the mind of the GA, T'Challa is Black Panther, the same way Peter Parker is Spiderman, Bruce Wayne is Batman, and Tony Stark is Ironman.

Yes, we can point to all the comics and other canon we want featuring other characters filling those mantles, but at the end of the day, it doesn't change the reality that in the public's mine( and I mean the GA, not fanboys), that Bruce Wayne is Batman, Peter is Spiderman, Tony is Iron Man.

Yes, Black Panther is a powerful symbol , but it's not nebulous . Like it or not, people see T'Challa as The Black Panther, and it's not going to be so easy to just hand the mantle to his sister or even to a new character and have the majority of the audience just accept it.

Again, I don't doubt you'll have people who are totally game for that change, but do think there's a bit of a disconnect between the fandom sphere view of passing the mantle and how the larger audience may respond and receive that information, and I don't mean twitter and hashtags.

 

[WatchProtect]

I mean, they'll be accepted or they wont be but unless people want them to not make Black Panther movies at all, someone HAS to take the mantle.

 

[Albright]

They have to, but considering that fact, it‘ll probably be M‘Baku. Or they‘ll find a way to make Killmonger the new Black Panther - maybe from an alternate universe

 

[WatchProtect]

They have to, but considering that fact, it‘ll probably be M‘Baku. Or they‘ll find a way to make Killmonger the new Black Panther - maybe from an alternate universe

M'Baku follows different laws than the rest of the Wakandans, he's the last person that'd be qualified, he probably also has serious qualms about opening Wakanda to the world aswell, the Killmonger thing would be extremely disappointing especially since theres no reason that Nakia, or any of the Dora Milaje or literally any other warrior in Wakanda wouldn't be qualified to become Black Panther and instead an outsider would have to come in and take the throne.

 

[Albright]

I‘m afraid they won‘t base their decision regarding whats best for the story...

 

[WatchProtect]

I‘m afraid they won‘t base their decision regarding whats best for the story...

Why wouldnt they? I think itd be much better and easier to use someone from the first film like Nakia personally, than backdoor introducing another Killmonger from an alternative universe, who just so happened to not hate Wakanda this time.

 

[Albright]

because it’s a business

 

[Dr. Evil]

Maybe the story of the film takes place during the Snap? It would solve the T'Challa problem for the sequel because we would already know what happened to him.

 

[Dark Raven]

Did we actually see T'Challa in Endgame without his mask or did he come back only masked? Because if he were masked, they could always say the Blip reassembled him differently which is why he doesn't look the same.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Did we actually see T'Challa in Endgame without his mask or did he come back only masked? Because if he were masked, they could always say the Blip reassembled him differently which is why he doesn't look the same.

When he arrived with Okoye and Shuri, he came out with his mask but then unmasked.

 

[Albright]

Yes, that was his last scene with close-up and still have goosebumps every time I see that scene because of the way he looks into the camera

 

[DarkKnight]

Am I the only one that wants Michael B Jordan to return as a Killmonger and in what the Wrestling world would say "turn Face" and take up the mantal?

A Full circle type deal, plus, I mean I wont lie. I really enjoy Michael B Jordan in general. Fantastic actor.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I have said this before, but having Killmonger come back and be the new Black Panther for me would be crap. Not because the character or actor are bad. Killmonger is an elite MCU villain and performance. But the logic of it makes zero sense. If we assume Killmonger died and they brought him back to life somehow, and Wakanda has that tech....then why use it on Killmonger and not T'Challa? Story wise, it makes zero sense. Why would anyone trust the guy who attempted to conquer the world and bucked their traditions in his brief rule?

I get wanting a good character back and I get the sentiment people are going for. But the mental gymnastics to get there would break verisimilitude for me. It is not an idea I can get behind

 

[Time Captain]

Killing off T'Challa would be messed up.

He 'died' in Black Panther. He 'died' during the Snap, and was gone for 5 years...

And now he's back, and he dies again.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I have said this before, but having Killmonger come back and be the new Black Panther for me would be crap. Not because the character or actor are bad. Killmonger is an elite MCU villain and performance. But the logic of it makes zero sense. If we assume Killmonger died and they brought him back to life somehow, and Wakanda has that tech....then why use it on Killmonger and not T'Challa? Story wise, it makes zero sense. Why would anyone trust the guy who attempted to conquer the world and bucked their traditions in his brief rule?

I get wanting a good character back and I get the sentiment people are going for. But the mental gymnastics to get there would break verisimilitude for me. It is not an idea I can get behind

I'll be honest, I think this movie is a bad idea because they're not recasting, but if you're not going to recast, out of all the ideas, this is the most appealing. I think if it became a redemption story then maybe it could work. I can be more interested in that than no Black Panther. On the other hand, it does undo his death, and it falls in line with no one really staying dead in the MCU and lacks consequence.

Look, it's not ideal, but Coogler is in an unideal situation. So if you're going to do something, making the most interesting character in the last movie the new Black Panther, just go for it.

But all of this could be avoided if they just recast. It's an understandable situation. I promise it will probably work and even if there's hesitation, knowing Marvel who can pull these things off, the new T'Challa will be embraced and any skepticism will be forgotten.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I'll be honest, I think this movie is a bad idea because they're not recasting, but if you're not going to recast, out of all the ideas, this is the most appealing. I think if it became a redemption story then maybe it could work. I can be more interested in that than no Black Panther. On the other hand, it does undo his death, and it falls in line with no one really staying dead in the MCU and lacks consequence.

Look, it's not ideal, but Coogler is in an unideal situation. So if you're going to do something, making the most interesting character in the last movie the new Black Panther, just go for it.

But all of this could be avoided if they just recast. It's an understandable situation. I promise it will probably work and even if there's hesitation, knowing Marvel who can pull these things off, the new T'Challa will be embraced and any skepticism will be forgotten.

Nah, I can't agree. The idea to me is so ridiculous they'd just lose me before this thing begins. I can be sold on a lot, but bringing the dude who just tried to start a world war with their tech after their dear leader dies is just....too ridiculous for me to buy. Interesting character or not, a story has to make sense to be good. This would just be nonsense

 

[Time Captain]

Something of note here is...

T'Challa has been gone for 5 years. There must have been a new King of Wakanda and new Black Panther during those 5 years..

Perhaps that will be how the new BP will be introduced, with T'Challa stepping down to let the person who led Wakanda during the 5 years continue. There's room to set up a backstory for a new lead character.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Something of note here is...

T'Challa has been gone for 5 years. There must have been a new King of Wakanda and new Black Panther during those 5 years..

Perhaps that will be how the new BP will be introduced, with T'Challa stepping down to let the person who led Wakanda during the 5 years continue. There's room to set up a backstory for a new lead character.

The problem is that BP2 will also have Letitia Wright returning as Shuri and she was snapped during the 5 years.

 

[Time Captain]

The problem is that BP2 will also have Letitia Wright returning as Shuri and she was snapped during the 5 years.

What does that have to do with anything?

Shuri can't be the ruler of Wakanda. She'd be slaughtered in the challenge battle.. badly.

 

[Dr. Evil]

What does that have to do with anything?

Shuri can't be the ruler of Wakanda. She'd be slaughtered in the challenge battle.. badly.

Oh I thought you mentioned that the film should take place during the Snap.