Marvel Studios has unveiled the trailer for November’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to eager fans, who roared their approval in a boisterous session at Comic-Con in San Diego.
The film is the sequel to 2018’s Black Panther, which starred the late Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, the heroic crime-fighting king of Wakanda, a fictional African country with incredibly advanced technology.
The trailer opens with Tems, a female vocalist singing No Woman, No Cry, but there were some tears on stage as Boseman’s castmates spoke of how much it meant to them to honor his memory through this new project.
Ryan Coogler, returning as director, spoke about how excited the T’Challa actor had been to see the first Black Panther footage five years ago at Comic-Con.
Also reprising their roles are British star Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri – the Black Panther’s sister – and Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, an undercover spy in service to Wakanda.
Wakanda Forever will introduce Tenoch Huerta (Narcos: Mexico), as anti-hero Namor McKenzie, known as the Sub-Mariner – confirming a long-standing casting rumor. Namor, who rules the watery kingdom of Atlantis, is the film’s antagonist – with the trailer hinting at a conflict between Wakanda and his people.
Other new additions to the cast include Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You), and Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart – a teenage inventor who becomes a superhero (and will get her own show on Disney+ in 2023.)
The first Black Panther film took over a billion dollars at the box office, becoming the first superhero film nominated for the best picture Oscar – and a cultural milestone for diversity in filmmaking.
Marvel previously confirmed it would not be re-casting the role of T’Challa, a decision that has divided fans – some feel it should forever belong to Boseman, who died of colon cancer in 2020, and some voices – including Boseman’s brother – saying it should pass to a new actor.
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