Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Teaser Dazzles At San Diego Comic-Con

The trailer for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is finally here, courtesy of San Diego Comic-Con.

When "Black Panther" first hit screens on February 2018, it was clear the Marvel Cinematic Universe had created something special. Grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide, per Box Office Mojo, and becoming the first Marvel film to be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards, "Black Panther" was a phenomenon. Audiences were eager for its eventual sequel, with Chadwick's Boseman's T'Challa poised to become the MCU's next great hero.

Sadly, Boseman died from cancer in August 2020, devastating not only his loved ones, but the fans who admired his impressive body of work. Many Marvel enthusiasts were left wondering what would happen to his character in the wake of his death, though Kevin Feige shared in December 2020 what "Black Panther" fans had long suspected: Out of respect for Boseman, the character would not be re-cast. Instead, the MCU would move forward in a way honoring both Boseman and T'Challa's legacies. 

As the "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" trailer shows, Marvel is holding to that promise by bringing us a very different return trip to Wakanda.

Much of the original cast of "Black Panther" has returned for "Wakanda Forever." Notably, Michael B. Jordan is absent, as his character Killmonger died at the end of the previous film. However, fan favorites, including Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, Danai Guria as Okoye, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Winston Duke as M'Baku, Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda, and Martin Freeman as CIA agent Everett K. Ross, will be returning. Joining them are Dominic Thorne as 

"Wakanda Forever" also introduces some new characters. Michaela Coel, hot off her mega-hit "I May Destroy You," joins the MCU, and Dominique Thorne makes her debut as young superhero Riri Williams, aka Ironheart. Also confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 is "The Forever Purge" star Tenoch Huerta as Namor the Sub-Mariner (finally!). Director Ryan Coogler is back as writer and director, too. Since the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, Coogler and his team had to adapt their original plan for "Wakanda Forever," choosing to instead focus on the rich history of the technologically-advanced African nation

The next film is a high-risk proposition for the "Black Panther" franchise, but it seems like Disney and Marvel Studios are making all the right decisions from a difficult position. With the official trailer promising a look at Wakanda as a nation mourns the loss of a prince, and a brewing conflict with Namor and the Atlanteans, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" will undoubtedly be a beloved entry in the MCU's Phase Four.