Black Panther 2 Happening Underwater
Black Panther 2 looks to be headed under the sea.
This article is more than 2 years old
We all know Marvel is moving forward with Black Panther 2 and we all know the movie will have a tribute to Chadwick Boseman. It is almost a given that Shuri (Letitia Wright) will take over the mantle as the new Black Panther even given her recent social media troubles. We are now finding out through reliable sources that Black Panther 2 will be spending a large part of the movie underwater. Let us explain.
It was first believed upon Boseman’s tragic passing from colon cancer that the continuation of Marvel’s Black Panther if it were to happen, wouldn’t be for some time. Marvel President Kevin Feige and Black Panther 2 director Ryan Coogler have decided, though, to continue moving forward with the sequel and will be starting production on the film this coming summer. Of course, one of their main objectives in moving forward was the proper way to honor Boseman and his Black Panther character.
Feige mentioned this exact fact at the 2020 Disney’s Investor Day saying via Fandom Wire, “Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa the Black Panther is iconic. It transcends any iteration of the character, in any other medium from Marvel’s past. And it’s for that reason, that we will not recast the character. However, to honor the legacy that Chad helped us build through his portrayal of the King of Wakanda… We want to continue to explore the world of Wakanda, and all its rich and varied characters introduced in the first film. Ryan Coogler is hard at work on the sequel now. And we’ll bring it into theaters July 8th, 2022.” It appears they have figured out how to properly lay tribute to Boseman and his iconic character in Black Panther 2. Apparently, the opening scene will entail Boseman in costume and a proper send-off that quickly leaves Wakanda in disarray. That leaves an opening for many of the film’s characters to challenge for the throne, with only one victor, Shuri.
With that portion of the movie covered, next up comes the bones of the story. And if all said is to be true, fans are going to get their first look a Marvel’s Atlantis and along with that, an introduction to Namor the Sub-Mariner. Hints of this came during Avengers: Endgame from Okoye (Danai Gurira). This happens when Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) is checking in with the other heroes across the world and galaxy. When she speaks to Okoye, Black Widow is informed that earthquakes have been occurring off the coast of Africa. Now, she doesn’t offer any further information so when Black Widow presses, asking her how Wakanda plans to deal with it, Okoye simply replies, “It’s an earthquake under the ocean. We handle it by not handling it.”
The history of Wakanda and Atlantis goes back to the early ‘70s comic books. The two have always held animosity, as have Black Panther and Namor. During The Defenders comics, Wakanda accidentally launched missiles at Atlantis, only to see Namor come to the rescue and avoid all-out war by intercepting them. There is plenty of history for Coogler to dig into here if Namor and Atlantis are to be part of Black Panther 2.
It has been rumored that with a large part of the movie taking place underwater, that the production was already preparing costumes and rigs to fit this storyline before Boseman’s passing. So far there has been no word that this storyline has changed, other than the fact that fans will see a new Black Panther.
So, where do we stand on a Wakanda versus Atlantis storyline in Black Panther 2? Looks like it will be fun to see the addition of a new hero in Namor if rumors are to be true. And what about the fact that it’s quite possible something bigger is going on and there may be a puppet master working in the background? Does Doctor Doom ring a bell? Fingers crossed all the rumors come to fruition.
