Disclaimer: The following article contains full spoilers for 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' and the rest of Marvel's Phase 4 Projects.Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been all about introducing a younger generation of heroes to carry on the legacy of some of the epic franchise's most iconic characters. From Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) taking on her surrogate sister's title of the Black Widow to the recent revelation that the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) has a son of his own with Skaar (Wil Deusner), there's already enough fresh new blood in the MCU to put together a version of the Young Avengers from the comics. That trend continues in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which sees the introduction of Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), also known as Ironheart; an obvious successor to Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) who is set to get a story of her own with a Disney+ spin-off series next year.
However, Riri Williams isn't the only potential new hero introduced in the film, as Wakanda Forever's mid-credits scene dropped an absolute bombshell reveal that could very well foretell the future of the Black Panther character in the Marvel Universe.
Shuri, Meet T'Challa's Son...T'Challa
Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) accomplishes more than a lot by the time Wakanda Forever concludes its nearly three-hour runtime. Not only does she ultimately take on her brother T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) mantle of the Black Panther, but she also forms a treaty with an aggressive aquatic civilization without killing their leader, concedes the throne to her rival-turned-friend M'Baku (Winston Duke), and ends her grieving process by traveling to Haiti to burn her white mourning clothing. It's on the beach in Haiti where, after her long and tortuous journey within the film, Shuri is finally given a chance to grieve for the family members she has recently lost. It's a bitter-sweet feeling to be sure. Yes, she is able to bid a proper farewell to T'Challa and Ramonda, she is also left with the potentially crushing knowledge that she is the last living descendant of her family line...or so she thought.
A mid-credits scene continues that final scene with Shuri on the beach, with the princess being greeted by Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), who has a young boy with her. It's then that Shuri is introduced to her nephew, also named T'Challa (Divine Love Konadu-Sun) after his father. Following his deteriorating health, T'Challa and Nakia, along with Queen Ramonda, agreed that T'Challa II should be taken away from Wakanda and not live as a prince, but instead to live a more humble life outside the nation. This of course would make T'Challa II the rightful heir to the Wakandan Throne, though now that M'Baku has taken charge of the nation in Shuri's absence, the final fate of whether or not T'Challa II will become King of Wakanda like his father rests entirely in the hands of the Panther God, Bast.
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What Does T'Challa II's Reveal Mean for the Black Panther and the MCU
Many were probably expecting that Shuri would maintain the Black Panther name for quite a while following the events of the film. That may very well still be the case, but T'Challa II's existence sets up some serious implications for the Black Panther's future. That future was in doubt for most of the film after Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) destroyed all known specimens of the heart-shaped herb — the Vibranium-infused plant that grants the Black Panther their enhanced abilities. That, combined with Shuri's initial apprehension to take on the role, was why the Black Panther was seemingly no more, but Shuri was finally able to discover how to artificially recreate the plant, and now, the legacy of Wakanda's fierce protector will seemingly live on long after Shuri and her generation are gone.
We already know that the superhuman abilities granted by the heart-shaped herb don't transfer genetically, but now that the formerly extinct super-plant has been brought back to life (unless another Killmonger comes around to set them on fire again), this seems to be a clear indication that T'Challa II will carry on the mantle of his father and his aunt. Since T'Challa II is still pretty young, we likely won't see him carry on that responsibility for quite some time, but if T'Challa II is anything like his comics counterpart, we'll see him don the Panther suit someday.
Does T'Challa Have a Son in the Comics?
Yes, though the name of T'Challa's direct descendant in the comics universe isn't T'Challa, T'Challa II, or T'Challa Jr. Instead, T'Challa's son in the comics multiverse is named Azari, and his mother is a character we haven't seen just yet in the MCU, but have seen in another long-running live-action series of Marvel films outside the current dynasty.
Though many aren't as familiar with Azari, many comic fans know that T'Challa had a long-running relationship and eventual marriage with Ororo Munroe, better known as X-Men member Storm. In the main comics universe of Earth-616, T'Challa and Ororo had known each other since they were teenagers, starting when T'Challa saved Ororo from a band of human traffickers. It didn't take long for T'Challa to learn that Ororo was a mutant, but that didn't stop the young prince from becoming smitten with a woman who had the ability to control the weather. Though his duty to his people caused them to part ways for many years, where, in time, T'Challa became king and Ororo became an X-Man, fate eventually brought the two together again and the two were ultimately married.
During the Avengers vs. X-Men (2012) conflict, a wedge was driven between T'Challa and Ororo and the Wakandan ministry annulled the marriage between the two, and they never had children during that time. So where does Azari come from then? Well, an alternate universe of course. Azari originates from Earth-10943, otherwise known as the Next Avengers (2010) timeline. Azari is still the son of T'Challa and Storm, gaining the mutant storm-based abilities of his mother and the cat-like reflexes of his father, but they along with most of Earth's heroes have been exterminated by Ultron, who rules Azari's universe with an iron fist. This leads Azari and the other children of the deceased Avengers to form a new super team to take down the malevolent mechanism, creating a new generation in the darkest time of their history.
Obviously there's no evidence that T'Challa II and Azari are connected in any way, but since Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) and Ms. Marvel(Iman Vellani) have both confirmed that mutants are amongst the denizens of the MCU, who knows if the son of T'Challa will end up having the power to control the elements?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters.
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How Many Post-Credits Scenes Does 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Have?
