We recently learned that Marvel Studios' original plan for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was for Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa to be reunited with his child in the wake of The Blip. From there, the hero would have been forced to take the boy into battle against Namor, giving this sequel the opportunity to explore a very unique dynamic between father and son.
Plans obviously changed in the wake of the actor's death, with the sequel instead focusing on the loss of T'Challa and Shuri's transformation into the MCU's new Black Panther.
During a recent interview with Empire (via The Direct), Letitia Wright revealed that Marvel Studios also once planned for there to be two Black Panthers, with T'Challa sharing the mantle with his sister.
"It was bittersweet. Shuri was always gonna do it," the actress confirms. "But it was gonna be done in a different way where her brother was gonna be alongside her, really explore that, like the comic books, the ways that T'Challa and Shuri would be Black Panther alongside each other and try to figure out how to defend their nation."
"But unfortunately that's not how it panned out. I knew the responsibility, I knew the weight of it, but it was just bittersweet, something I struggled with a lot. But I'm extremely proud of myself. I had great support."
It would have been fascinating seeing this story play out, and we wouldn't be surprised if the brother and sister both being Black Panther was set to be the third movie's focal point. Regardless, it's becoming clearer and clearer that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever underwent even bigger changes than we realised after Boseman passed away following his battle with cancer.
Now, it seems the plan is for Shuri to continue serving as Black Panther before T'Challa's son, Toussaint/T'Challa, eventually follows in his father's footsteps.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters.