Wakanda TV Series: 3 Major Questions About the 'Black Panther' Spinoff That We Need Answers
The newly announced "Wakanda" TV series surprised the longtime fans of "Black Panther." At the same time, it stirred the curiosity of the viewers, causing some questions to arise.
This week, it has been confirmed that director Ryan Coogler successfully signed a deal with Disney+.
The said agreement between Coogle's Proximity Media and The Walt Disney Company is for five-year television projects. Although the lineup is yet to be decided, it has been revealed that the first series on the network will be about Wakanda.
"With Black Panther, Ryan brought a groundbreaking story and iconic characters to life in a real, meaningful and memorable way, creating a watershed cultural moment," Disney's executive chairman Bob Iger said in a statement.
Since there is only little detail about the "Wakanda" TV series, here are some of the questions that currently surround the franchise.
What will happen to Chadwick Boseman's role?
On August 28, 2020, Chadwick Boseman passed away due to Stage IV colon cancer.
His untimely death affected the future of the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially "Black Panther."
Marvel Studios executive vice president Victoria Alonso already revealed during an interview with Argentinian newspaper Clarin that they will not recast or use a CGI double for the role in any installment.
If that's the case, fans will no longer see Boseman's flesh in "Black Panther 2" or in the "Wakanda" TV series. Because of this, Coogler might choose to remember Boseman and his character in another way--like showing a picture of him as the leader of Wakanda.
Since the series will reportedly focus on Wakanda, it is impossible not to mention T'Challa's name. How Coogler will do it remains unknown, but the role will surely be mentioned at one point.
Who will be the lead: Shuri or M'Baku?
Since Boseman is no longer alive to lead the film, questions whether Shuri or M'Baku will succeed him began to emerge.
For months since Chadwick's death, news about Letitia Wright's character, Shuri, becoming T'Challa's successor has been one of the most-talked-about topics.
Wright's character, youngest daughter of T'Chaka and sister of T'Challa, is the Princess of Wakanda. This makes her an heiress to the throne and the possible next Black Panther.
However, it is worth noting that M'Baku is still alive in the franchise.
The Great Gorilla is the leader of the Jabari Tribe who removed his group of Wakandans from T'Challa's kingdom.
The upcoming series might either be about Shuri or M'Baku--or both since it will tell how Wakanda started.
How will Ryan Coogler make it interesting?
A "Black Panther" flick without the original star is already challenging. But Coogler took the challenge.
The MCU offers infinite possibilities to its creators. There have been suggestions from fans to create spinoff films and series that focus on characters with minor roles.
This demand could also be applied to the upcoming series. With that said, Coogler could put the supporting characters--be it Shuri or M'Baku--to the spotlight and try to spin the story without Boseman.
