As Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hit the theaters just a few weeks back, Winston Duke’s Lord M’Baku became a new fan-favorite character. But would fans have been happy if M’Baku took over Black Panther’s mantle? Probably many might wonder why I’m asking this question. Well, because (SPOILER AHEAD!) recently Wakanda Forever’s co-screenwriter Joe Robert Cole revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone that M’Baku was considered to take over the mantle instead of Shuri.
Robert said, “We would kick around the ideas and try to extrapolate where the story goes and what’s the most impactful choice — what’s the best journey? And where do you go after the film in terms of those characters? M’Baku certainly was someone that got kicked around a little bit.”
Maybe M’Baku would have been an excellent choice for the new protector of Wakanda. He is one of the strongest Wakandan warriors, even without the Heart-Shaped Herb. Furthermore, we also saw in the movie that M’Baku went to the crowning ceremony as Shuri skips the ceremony, which means M’Baku is the new King of Wakanda. Winston Duke also revealed that he was the new King of Wakanda. He said, “Yeah, it’s cool though, being revealed as the king of Wakanda at the end of the movie. That’s huge.”
Maybe he would have been an excellent choice for the new Black Panther. However, he was not the only one who was considered to take the mantle because Robert also said that Nakia would have been great too. But she “got kicked around! Her name got kicked around for sure.” And as mentioned above, they chose Shuri as Wakanda’s new protector (Black Panther).
Why was Shuri chosen as the new Black Panther?
Actress Letitia Wright has been part of Black Panther since the release of the first Black Panther movie in 2018. And as per the reports, production for its sequel started while Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman was still alive; however, after his untimely death, they had to stop the show and start over.
@nerdist During The Blip, Queen Ramonda might have become The Black Panther #WakandaForever #BlackPanther #MCU #Marvel
Moreover, there was also a huge question, “who is going to take Black Panther’s mantle?” following Boseman’s death, many fans came up with various theories. While many thought Shuri would take the mantle, others said Queen Ramonda would be the one taking the cover. There were also rumors that Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger would somehow come back and take the throne as the new King and protector of Wakanda. Well, although we did see him in the theatre sitting on the throne, he was not the King, and neither was he Black Panther.
Shuri was naturally and organically the best option and choice for the next Black Panther. Why? Because she was the princess of Wakanda, and it was also her duty to keep her brother’s legacy alive. But that is not the only reason why Shuri was chosen as the new protector of Black Panther.
Many might have already guessed it, and yes, in the comics, we have seen Shuri as Black Panther, which co-screenwriter of the film Joe Robert Cole also told while talking to Rolling Stone, “I think you’re correct because in the comics, Shuri is Black Panther and there’s a natural organicness, I guess there is the best way to say it, to her becoming Panther. But you kick the tires on all sorts of ideas. And you just want to make the best decision and do what’s best for the story.”
However, since M’Baku is the new King of Wakanda, fans are wondering if he will become the Black Panther or if Shuri will remain the protector of Wakanda.
