How 'Black Panther Wakanda Forever' could work without Chadwick Boseman

The storm called 'Thor: Love and Thunder' is settled. The Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman-starrer film did not overly impress critics but had a huge global box office opening, and is set to become a commercial success by the time it exits theatres. Meanwhile, the eager eyes of fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are set upon the next big-screen entry in MCU: Ryan Coogler's 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'. Although it does not come out until November, fans are curious as to how it will work without its biggest star, Chadwick Boseman, who died from colon cancer at the age of 42 in 2020.

Certainly, the absence of Boseman in the film will hurt it, but it still might work. We know Kevin Feige, the chief of Marvel Studios, the company behind the MCU, has made it clear that the role of T'Challa (Black Panther's real name) will not be recast. So the film that has 'Black Panther' in its name will not have a Black Panther. Or won't it?

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'Black Panther' is a title, not a person

We know Black Panther is just a title from the first 2018 film and before that 2016's 'Captain America: Civil War'. It does not connote a specific superhero or person. Several generations of Black Panthers have ruled Wakanda as kings. Wakanda is a fictional African nation in MCU and Marvel Comics that is super-advanced, and has technology that is far superior to any other on earth.

Who should be the next Black Panther?

So, technically speaking, anyone can don the Vibranium suit and can call themselves 'Black Panther'. And indeed, there will almost certainly be one to take Boseman's legacy forward. Boseman's death will always be hurtful, but the writers -- Coogler and Joe Robert Cole -- have the opportunity to create a female Black Panther here. For that, there are several candidates. Take for instance Dora Milaje, the elite group of warriors that protects the Wakandan monarch. Okoye (Danai Gurira) can go toe-to-toe with any other warrior in MCU when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. It is natural that she will be nearly invulnerable in the vibranium shield.

Also, T'Challa's young sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) is the biggest tech wizard in the nation and can create a customised suit for Okoye. Another candidate is Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), T'Challa's former love-interest who is a formidable warrior herself and can totally fill his shoes.

But the most suitable candidate for the title of 'Black Panther' is...

But here is who I think should really be the next Black Panther: Riri Williams played by Dominique Thorne. In the lore, Williams is a genius young inventor who makes a suit of armour to rival Tony Stark's Iron Man suit and becomes his successor Iron Heart. If she does become Black Panther, and not Ironheart, it will be fitting in a way -- she played the role of Judy Harmon in the movie 'Judas and the Black Messiah', one of the Black Panthers (the real-world organisation).

'Wakanda Forever' also stars Martin Freeman, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett. The film releases on November 11 later this year.