Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Shuri / Black Panther. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to Black Panther (2018) and the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole, the film stars Letitia Wright as Shuri / Black Panther, alongside Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Angela Bassett. In the film, the leaders of Wakanda fight to protect their nation in the wake of King T'Challa's death.
Ideas for a sequel began after the release of Black Panther in February 2018. Coogler negotiated to return as director in the following months, and Marvel Studios officially confirmed the sequel's development in mid-2019. Plans for the film changed in August 2020 when Black Panther star and T'Challa actor Chadwick Boseman died from colon cancer, with Marvel choosing not to recast his role. The return of other main cast members from the first film was confirmed that November, and the sequel's title was revealed to be Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in May 2021. Filming began in late June in Atlanta, taking place at both Trilith Studios and Tyler Perry Studios, before moving to Massachusetts in August, but was halted in November to allow Wright to recover from an injury sustained during filming. It resumed by mid-January 2022 and wrapped in late March in Puerto Rico.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiered at the El Capitan Theatre and the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on October 26, 2022, and was released in the United States on November 11, as the final film in Phase Four of the MCU. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $859.2 million worldwide, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2022. Wakanda Forever and Bassett's performance received numerous awards and nominations, including five Academy Awards (winning Costume Design), one British Academy Film Award, six Critics' Choice Movie Awards (winning two), two Golden Globe Awards (winning one), and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. A spin-off miniseries focusing on Thorne's Riri Williams, Ironheart, premiered in June 2025. A sequel is scheduled for release in December 2028.
Plot
T'Challa, king of Wakanda, is suffering from a terminal illness which his sister Shuri believes can be cured by the "heart-shaped herb". Shuri attempts to synthetically recreate the herb after it was burned by Erik "Killmonger" Stevens, but fails to do so before T'Challa dies.
A year later, Wakanda faces pressure from other nations to share their vibranium, with attempts to steal it by force. Queen Ramonda urges Shuri to continue her herb research to create a new Black Panther, but Shuri refuses, believing the Black Panther is no longer needed. In the Atlantic, a U.S. expedition team uses a vibranium detector to find a deposit underwater, but a group of blue-skinned, water-breathing superhumans led by Namor kills them. The CIA suspects Wakanda's involvement. Namor confronts Ramonda and Shuri after bypassing Wakanda's security. He blames Wakanda for the vibranium race and gives them an ultimatum: hand over the scientist who created the detector or he will attack Wakanda.
Shuri and Okoye learn from CIA agent Everett K. Ross that the scientist is MIT student Riri Williams. They confront her at the university before being pursued by the FBI and Namor's warriors, who defeat Okoye and take Shuri and Williams underwater to meet Namor. Angered by Okoye's failure to protect Shuri, Ramonda strips her of her title as general of the Dora Milaje and seeks out Nakia, who has been living in Haiti since the Blip. Namor shows Shuri his vibranium-rich underwater kingdom of Talokan, protected for centuries from the surface world. Bitter at the surface world for the slavery and genocide of his people, Namor proposes an alliance with Wakanda against the rest of the world, threatening destruction if they refuse. Nakia helps Shuri and Williams escape, killing two Talokanil guards. Namor retaliates with an attack on Wakanda, during which Ramonda drowns while saving Williams. Namor vows to return with his army, and Wakanda's citizens relocate to the Jabari mountains for their safety. Meanwhile, Ross is arrested by his ex-wife, CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, for secretly exchanging classified intelligence with Wakandans.
After Ramonda's funeral, Shuri uses a remnant of the herb that gave Namor's people their superhuman abilities to reconstruct the heart-shaped herb. She ingests it, gaining superhuman abilities and meeting Killmonger in the Ancestral Plane, who questions if she will seek revenge or be as honorable as T'Challa. Shuri dons a new Black Panther suit and is accepted by the other Wakandan tribes as the Black Panther. Despite M'Baku's urges for peace, Shuri is determined to exact vengeance on Namor for Ramonda's death and orders an immediate counterattack on Talokan. Preparing for battle, with Ayo assuming the position of general of the Dora Milaje, Shuri bestows the Midnight Angel armor upon Okoye, who in turn recruits Dora Milaje member Aneka to join her. Williams creates an Iron Man-esque powered exoskeleton to aid the Wakandans.
The Wakandans use a seafaring vessel to lure Namor and his warriors to the surface with a vibranium detector as battle ensues. Shuri traps Namor in a fighter aircraft, aiming to weaken him. They crash on a desert beach and fight. Shuri gains the upper hand but sees a vision of Ramonda, urging Namor to yield and offering a peaceful alliance. Namor agrees, ending the battle. His cousin, Namora, is upset by the surrender, but Namor believes the alliance will strengthen Talokan. Williams returns to MIT, leaving her suit behind, while Okoye rescues Ross. Shuri plants more heart-shaped herbs to ensure the Black Panther mantle's future. In her absence, M'Baku challenges for the throne. Shuri visits Nakia in Haiti and burns her funeral robe to finally grieve for T'Challa, honoring Ramonda's wishes.
In a mid-credits scene, Shuri learns that Nakia and T'Challa had a son named Toussaint, whom Nakia has been raising in secret. Toussaint reveals his Wakandan name is T'Challa.
Cast
Letitia Wright as Shuri / Black Panther:The princess of Wakanda who designs new technology for the nation. Wright was given a larger role in the film following the death of Chadwick Boseman, who starred in previous MCU media as Shuri's older brother T'Challa / Black Panther. Wright said Shuri turns to her technology as a way to grieve T'Challa. Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia:A former War Dog, an undercover spy for Wakanda, from the River Tribe. Nyong'o said Nakia has "matured" following both the Blip and the death of T'Challa, explaining that her character's "priorities have shifted and sharpened" while adding that Nakia remains "the one you want to call when you're in trouble". Danai Gurira as Okoye:The general of the Dora Milaje, Wakanda's all-female special forces, and a former Avenger. In the film, Okoye takes on the mantle of one of the Midnight Angels, along with Aneka. Gurira said the film would explore "many facets" of Okoye's humanity. Winston Duke as M'Baku:A powerful warrior and leader of Wakanda's mountain tribe, the Jabari. Duke indicated that following the Jabari's involvement in the events of the films Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), the tribe is no longer isolated from the rest of Wakanda. He also felt M'Baku was trying to figure "out how to move forward" in this new world for Wakanda, much like many in the real world were trying to do during the COVID-19 pandemic. Florence Kasumba as Ayo:The second-in-command of the Dora Milaje who later becomes general after Okoye is stripped of her duties. She is romantically involved with Aneka. Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams:An MIT student and genius inventor from Chicago who creates a suit of armor that rivals the one built by Tony Stark / Iron Man. Director Ryan Coogler noted that Williams is a foil to Shuri, adding "there's a thread of similarity" between the two, but they are "also very, very different", with Williams and Shuri's relationship representing a similar exploration of the "diversity of the Black experience" as T'Challa and Killmonger's relationship did in the film Black Panther (2018). Michaela Coel as Aneka:A Wakandan warrior and member of the Dora Milaje who is romantically involved with Ayo. In the film, Aneka takes on the mantle of one of the Midnight Angels, along with Okoye. Coel was drawn to the character being queer as in the comics, and Coogler described Aneka as "kind of a rebel". Mabel Cadena as Namora: Namor's cousin and right-hand woman. Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor:The king of Talokan, an ancient civilization of blue-skinned, underwater-dwelling people, who refer to him as the feathered serpent god K'uk'ulkan. Mejía said Namor decides to get involved in the surface world after T'Challa publicly reveals the truth of Wakanda at the end of the first film, which consequently puts Talokan in "jeopardy", leading Namor and his people to "take action to protect themselves". Mejía also confirmed that the character is a mutant as in the comics. Coogler said Namor "[has] lived a really long time and knows no equal in terms of his capabilities", stating that the character, if near enough water, is capable of being as strong as both Thor and Hulk. Mejía called Namor an anti-hero, explaining that it was important to both him and Coogler to humanize the character by making his motivations understandable despite him having an antagonistic role in the film. Coogler said that the DC Comics character Aquaman served as an "indirect guidance" for Namor's portrayal in Wakanda Forever, explaining that because both characters share several similar characteristics that lead to frequent comparisons, he decided not to focus on Namor's similarities to Aquaman, but rather to highlight Namor's "really unique features" from the comics that Coogler was enthused to include in the film, such as the ankle wings and pointy ears, as a way to dissociate Namor's image from that of Aquaman. Coogler also described the character as "kind of an asshole, kind of romantic, and just incredibly powerful". The film changes the meaning of Namor's name from "Avenging Son" in Atlantean, as in the comics, to "niño sin amor" (Spanish for "child without love"), the latter of which is intended to reflect Namor's hatred of the surface world. In the script for Wakanda Forever, Namor's birth name is stated to be Ch'ah Toh Almehen, although this name is not mentioned in the film. To prepare for the role, Mejía underwent a vigorous workout routine to get in shape, as he was concerned about how he would look while wearing Namor's outfit, which in the comics consists exclusively of green swim briefs that Mejía referred to as the "shame shorts". He also learned the Yucatec Maya language and how to swim. Manuel Chavez portrays a young Namor. Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross: An agent of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who has previous ties to Wakanda. Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine: The new director of the CIA and the ex-wife of Ross.