Wakanda forever in Black Panther: Wakanda forever is jam-packed with Marvel references and easter eggs. Since Chadwick Boseman’s death, the MCU has had to make one of its toughest choices yet. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was not remade for the Marvel Cinematic Universe but rather reworked as a moving examination of loss. The film’s major events occur a year after King T’Challa’s terrible death, which sent shockwaves through Wakandan society. Wakanda lost its champion and protector when Killmonger smashed the Heart-Shaped Herb in Black Panther.
Wakanda Forever, Black Panther is no exception to the rule that all Marvel films are riddled with hidden references and Easter eggs. Given that Namor is one of Marvel Comics’ oldest characters, it should come as no surprise that there are a lot of Easter eggs surrounding him. In this case, the film plays an important role in establishing a fresh power player in the MCU, Namor the Sub-Mariner, recreated from the comics as ruler of the underwater kingdom of Talokan. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever contains numerous nods to other Marvel films, and here they are!
Amazing Chadwick Boseman Opening to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
In Phase 4, the Marvel Studios logo is being employed in increasingly imaginative ways to help establish the mood and aesthetic of each new film. However, in honor of the late Chadwick Boseman, the Marvel Studios logo for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever features Boseman’s face at its center. Similar methods were utilized in Marvel’s 2019 film Captain Marvel, dedicated to Stan Lee’s memory, and both were effective.
An Opening Prayer to Bast
In the opening scene of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” a distressed Shuri implores Bast for help. The Panther God Bast guided T’Challa’s ancestor Bashenga to the Heart-Shaped Herb, making Wakanda the home of the Black Panthers. Bast, a deity with ties to the Egyptian pantheon glimpsed in Moon Knight, debuted in Thor: Love & Thunder in the MCU. The Panther God, portrayed by Akosia Sabet, was one of the gods spotted hiding from Gorr, the God-Butcher, in Omnipotence City.
Trevor Noah once again Plays the Griot.
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Trevor Noah reprises his role as the voice of Shuri’s AI, Griot. Shuri’s expertise in artificial intelligence was revealed in the Avengers: Infinity War Prelude miniseries, foreshadowing her effort to steal the Mind Stone from Vision in the main film. Shuri is positive she won’t make the same mistake Tony Stark did with Ultron. But her mother, Ramonda is less optimistic.
In addition to his Challenge Weapons, T’Challa’s funeral also features the Captain America: Civil War Helmet.
It’s easy for audiences to notice several tiny Easter eggs during the heartbreaking scene of T’Challa’s funeral. Such as, next to the casket is T’Challa’s Challenge Weapons from the first film: his spear and shield. T’Challa’s personal design, the Black Panther helmet from Captain America: Civil War, is what Shuri carries during his burial.
Live-Action Marvel Cinematic Universe Debut for Lake Bell
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever marks the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of Lake Bell. Bell plays one of two specialists on a CIA expedition searching for vibranium deposits in the ocean. Bell is no stranger to Marvel Studios; she voiced Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the company’s animated series What If…? Unfortunately, her CIA agent dies, so we won’t see her again in live action until season 2 of What If…?
More Vibranium-containing Meteorites Struck Earth
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever revealed more than one Vibranium meteorite impacting Earth. Evidently, another landed off the coast of South America, and the same sort of Vibranium radiation mutations observed in Wakanda was observed in the marine life there. The Talokanil of the MCU are runaways from the Spanish Conquistadors. They ingested their version of the Heart-Shaped Herb and underwent a physical change. They have managed to remain hidden for ages. But now that surface dwellers have discovered how to identify Vibranium, they may be found out.
If there are two meteors in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, there may have been a whole swarm. This suggests there may be more Vibranium in the MCU than previously thought. There is a second major Vibranium deposit in Antarctica in the comics. The same might hold true in the MCU as well.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever News Reports the New Asgard and Scott Lang
Attentive watchers of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will spot Marvel Easter eggs in the film’s numerous news broadcasts. The first mention of Scott Lang’s autobiography (called Look Out for The Little Guy). The teaser for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Ms. Marvel both hinted that Ant-Man had found a method to capitalize on his time spent with the Avengers, so this makes sense. Second, talks are underway at New Asgard for a treaty about which we know nothing.
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, M’Baku Shows That His People Are Still Vegetarians.
Even though M’Baku plays a significant part in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, his first scene is actually an entertaining Easter egg referencing a pivotal incident from the original film. There, he stated that his people were vegetarians. Thus, he should show up to a meeting of the Wakandan Council eating a carrot. When he informed Ross he was a vegetarian, he clearly wasn’t joking.
Now it’s force fields rather than holograms that serve as Wakanda’s primary line of defense.
A subtle indication in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever suggests that after King T’Challa’s death, the fictional African nation of Wakanda feels vulnerable and alone. In the first film, the Royal Talon Fighter only gets holographic glimpses of the future capital of Wakanda. This time around, however, instead of holograms, force fields are utilized to cut off the sequel’s location from the rest of the world. Okoye’s exclamation “We’re home” as she steps out of the Royal Talon Fighter is reminiscent of her words in the same sequence of Black Panther.
K’uk’ulkan is mentioned in the song “Wakanda Forever.”
Namor is K’uk’ulkan to the Talokanil, who worship a serpent god with feathers. K’uk’ulkan, a classic Mesoamerican deity, has appeared in Marvel Comics on multiple occasions. Interestingly, Namora, a secondary villain in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, has connections to K’uk’ulkan in the comics. She was first introduced in Namora #1, published in 1948 when she saw the destruction of a temple dedicated to K’uk’ulkan.
Shuri Learns That Riri Is Developing Stark Technology
Finding Riri Williams, the teenager who will grow up to become Ironheart, thanks to Shuri and Okoye’s efforts, was a major victory. Riri’s work on Stark technology impresses Shuri, hinting at her future in armor. This concept is taken directly from the comics, in which a young Riri causes embarrassment for Tony Stark by figuring out how his Iron Man technology works. In addition, the widespread use of Iron Man’s technology serves as a teaser for the upcoming War Machine film Armor Wars.
To the untrained eye, Ironheart’s initial flight resembles a tribute to Iron Man’s, as she, too, soars far into the sky. Almost fatally, Tony Stark experienced a cooling problem; Riri forgot to attach an oxygen supply and passed out. But, really, Ironheart is being set up as the sequel to Iron Man.
The Contessa’s Role is finally revealed.
Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine makes an unexpected appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and is promoted as the new Nick Fury in the post-Endgame Marvel universe. The Contessa role played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the upcoming film Black Widow has been somewhat of a mystery up until this point. However, according to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Contessa is now the CIA director and Ross’s ex-wife.
Namor’s Mutant Status is confirmed.
Like in the books, Namor is a mutant in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The rights to mutants reverted to Marvel in 2019 when Disney purchased most of Fox’s film and TV company. Namor is the second official mutant to be recognized in the mainstream MCU timeline, following Kamala Khan in the Ms. Marvel Disney+ TV show. Hopefully, Marvel will clarify their use of the phrase shortly, as it appears to be used somewhat loosely at the moment.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has some great movie references that Ironheart makes.
Riri, understandably panicked at being kidnapped by the Talokanil, spouts numerous amusing movie references about bad guys usually providing ladies a change of clothes. For example, she mentions the Huttslayer clothing Leia wore, the Indiana Jones character Marion Ravenwood, and the Disney princess Belle. Riri’s use of pop culture references draws comparisons to MCU’s Spider-Man. SPider-man has been dropping Star Wars Easter eggs in his films since Captain America: Civil War.
Is There a Reason W’Kabi Isn’t in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?
W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), a pivotal figure in the first Black Panther film, will not appear in the sequel because of the actor’s busy schedule. However, a wise nod to the character is still present. Though with Ramonda’s angry identification of Okoye’s spouse turned a traitor while also noting that Okoye is free to visit him whenever she likes. On the other hand, Ramonda may have lost Shuri to the Talokanil and the rest of her family and friends.
Establishing Wakanda Forever’s place in the MCU timeline, Nakia left Wakanda six years ago.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gives Nakia a substantial amount of screen time. However, not least because of the mid-credits scene, showing that she and T’Challa had a child before his death. A few offhand remarks regarding Nakia’s storyline provide clues as to when the film takes place in the MCU timeline, leading one to believe that it occurs in late 2024. Nakia reportedly fled Wakanda with the assistance of King T’Challa six years ago. Her absence during the events of Avengers: Infinity War can be attributed to the fact that she left just before Thanos’s army invaded Wakanda. After this, the Blip occurred, and for five years, half of all life in the cosmos vanished, including T’Challa. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set a year after the death of Wakanda’s monarch. Therefore, his death must have occurred soon after his return.
Shuri visions Killmonger in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Killmonger must have made quite an impression on Shuri because he is the former Black Panther she encounters in the Ancestral Plane. Killmonger seems unmoved by death, as he advocates for Shuri to exact violent retribution on Namor. But, lucky for everyone, Shuri learns her lesson and refuses to take the bad guy’s advice.
The Midnight Angel Armors unveiled
After all, it is the former Black Panther, Killmonger, who Shuri encounters on the Ancestral Plane. Unfortunately, Killmonger still hasn’t changed his mind about life and death, seeing as how he supports Shuri in exacting violent retribution on Namor. Shuri, thankfully, learns not to trust the bad guy’s promises.
During “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” why did Namor say “Imperius Rex”?
During the climactic showdown between Namor and Shuri, Namor yells out his comic book catchphrase, “Imperius Rex!” However, when asked by Thor what the term meant, Namor may have been alluding to its lack of significance. ‘It means I’ll feed your sorry Asgardian hide to the biggest sharks I can find,’ growled Namor. To say he failed would be an understatement, much like Shuri’s failure to defeat Killmonger in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
