All Your 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Questions Answered

Here's what we know so far, including about Namor, Ironheart and whether the late Chadwick Boseman will appear.

Black Panther was one of Marvel's most popular movies, and is one of the highest grossing non-Avengers films in the franchise. Sadly, Chadwick Boseman passed away in 2020, forcing the studio to quickly change plans for the sequel. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to be released Nov. 11, 2022, and Marvel Studios released the first trailer following its presentation at San Diego Comic Con. Still, many details about the movie are being kept under wraps, and fans still have many lingering questions.

Beware of spoilers for the Marvel Cinematic Universe from this point on, especially if you aren't caught up!

Related: How to Watch Every Marvel Movie In Order of Story

Will Wakanda Forever have Chadwick Boseman?

Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away from colon cancer in August 2020. Director Ryan Coogler had only submitted a first draft of the sequel's script by this point, and the decision was made not to recast Boseman. Boseman did not film any material for the film and the studio has stated that it does not have plans to digitally recreate him. It is unclear if any previously filmed footage from Boseman's Black Panther appearances will be included, although it is likely that Marvel Studios will pay tribute to the actor in its opening logo sequence—and there is footage in the Wakanda Forever trailer of Wakandans honoring their late King T'Challa with a mural featuring Boseman's face.

Related: Watch Chadwick Boseman's Widow's Emotional Acceptance Speech for His Posthumous Golden Globe

Is there a Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer?

The first teaser trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dropped at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23, 2022. In it, we see Wakandans honoring T'Challa, Letitia Wright as Shuri crying, Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia and Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda demanding justice for the loss of her family. We also get our first glimpses of Namor the Submariner (Tenoch Huerta) and Ironheart (Dominique Thorne), as well as Michaela Coel as Aneka, a blue-clad leader of the Dora Milaje.

It's emotional and moving, as well as a promise of an action-packed sequel that the Black Panther character deserves.

Another trailer released at the D23 Expo in early September 2022 featured Queen Ramonda informing the United Nations that T'Challa passed away and refusing to trade Vibranium with the rest of the world. We later see French soldiers breaking into a Wakanda lab in an attempt to steal Vibranium, only to find that one of the scientists is Dora Milaje member Aneka (Michaela Coel), who, accompanied by other Dora Milaje, wipe the floor with the military men.

The door to the United Nations hearing opens, and the Dora Milaje present the soldiers, tied up, to the room full of world leaders. A furious Ramonda leaves.

Other footage includes Namor explaining his anger at Wakanda revealing itself to the world, because he fears it puts his own secret underwater empire at risk of exposure to outsiders as well.

The trailer concludes with a character, face obscured, wearing the new Black Panther uniform, with Ramonda saying, "Show them who we are."

A full trailer dropped on Oct. 3, 2022, the same day tickets for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever went on sale. In it, we see a memorial service for T'Challa as Namor paints an image onto a wall. We hear Namor say, "Only the most broken people can be great healers."

We get a look at Namor flying thanks to the wings on his ankles, as well as of M'Baku telling the Wakandan people that Namor is known as "the feather serpent god." Confirming that Namor is "coming for the surface world," we see him in a face-to-face confrontation with Queen Ramonda on the beach, epic battles with the Dora Milaje and Ironheart, flooding—and a new Black Panther stepping up at the very end.

Another teaser trailer released on Oct. 26, 2022, features Namor asking if Wakanda is an ally or an enemy, to which Shuri responds, "You can come and find out." We also get a glimpse of the new Black Panther picking up a mask and flexing their claws.

Related: Collectible Honors Chadwick Boseman's Iconic Black Panther

Who is playing Black Panther in Wakanda Forever?

Chadwick Boseman portrayed the previous Black Panther until his tragic passing in August 2020. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the role gets passed to another character who has been kept under wraps.

What is the song in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer?

The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever teaser trailer is set to a cover of Bob Marley and the Wailers' "No Woman No Cry" by Nigerian artist Tems. It is remixed into "Alright" by Kendrick Lamar and very poignantly ends with Lamar rapping the lyrics, "When I wake up."

Related: Black Panther Demolished Box Office Records Because People Want New Perspectives In Blockbusters

What songs are on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack?

The full Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack includes:

1. "Lift Me Up" – Rihanna

2. "Love & Loyalty (Believe)" – DBN Gogo, Sino Msolo, Kamo Mphela, Young Stunna & Busiswa

3. "Alone" – Burna Boy

4. "No Woman No Cry" – Tems

5. "Arboles Bajo El Mar" – Vivir Quintana & Mare Advertencia

6. "Con La Brisa" – Foudeqush & Ludwig G?ransson

7. "La Vida" – Snow Tha Product (feat. E-40)

8. "Interlude" – Stormzy

9. "Coming Back For You" – Fireboy DML

10. "They Want It, But No" – Tobe Nwigwe & Fat Nwigwe

11. "Laayli’ kuxa’ano’one" – Adn Maya Colectivo, Pat Boy, Yaalen K’uj & All Mayan Winik

12. "Limoncello" – OG DAYV & Future

13. "Anya Mmiri" – CKay (feat. PinkPantheress)

14. "Wake Up" – Bloody Civilian (feat. Rema)

15. "Pantera" – Aleman (feat. Rema)

16. "Jele" – DBN Gogo, Sino Msolo, Kamo Mphela, Young Stunna & Busiswa

17. "Inframundo" – Blue Rojo

18. "No Digas Mi Nombre" – Calle x Vida & Foudeqush

19. "Mi Pueblo" – Guadelupe de Jesus Chan Poot

Rihanna's ballad "Lift Me Up" is a collaboration with Tems, who said in a statement, “After speaking with Ryan [Coogler] and hearing his direction for the film and the song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I’ve lost in my life. I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them. Rihanna has been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honor.”

Who is in the Black Panther 2 cast?

The film features returning cast members:

Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda

Angela Bassett told The New York Times that she was excited for the representation of Black women in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

"Wakanda Forever is poised to be the next film to really garner excitement for lots of people. Over a billion dollars’ worth of people hopefully will go to the movies," she said. "And who will they see but our faces? Black women’s faces. I love seeing it. In this day and age, you don’t have to wait for a few folks in a few offices at the top of a few buildings to make it happen. You know? Our voices are so compelling that they must be told."

Letitia Wright as Shuri

Aside from the obvious tragedy of Boseman's passing, other issues arose during the filming of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever—namely Letitia Wright getting severely injured with a concussion and critical shoulder fracture.

She told The New York Times, "There were a lot of physical challenges that I faced as well, but alongside that I came away really proud that in the face of adversity, I could bounce back and give that extra life and strength to my character ... Seeing everybody give 110 percent inspires you each day. The journey wasn’t pain-free, but you can stand on top of the mountain and say you did it. Hopefully, that transfers to the film, and people walk away feeling ecstatic and empowered because that’s definitely how we feel after making it."

Winston Duke as M'Baku

As fan favorite M'Baku, Winston Duke told ScreenRant we'll see more of him and the Jabari tribe in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He explained, "I think the events of Infinity War and Endgame really showed that the Jabari are now full-fledged members of Wakanda. M'Baku was a part of every single conflict; every event, and I don't think they could really exist in isolation anymore. They have open borders, and we saw that M'Baku was really Wakandan. His entire community has expanded."

He added, "Now we get to see how he figures out a brand-new world for Wakanda; a brand-new world like we've had to experience. A world post-COVID; a world post-pandemic or mid-pandemic. Much like us, he's going through a lot of the same things and figuring out how to move forward. This movie really deals and dives into that a lot."

Danai Gurira as Okoye

Danai Gurira reprises her role as Dora Milaje leader Okoye in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She said the filming process wasn't always easy to do while mourning Boseman, but that she and the other women in the cast found strength in each other—and in kicking butt.

"There are ways that you as an artist can try to have some control over what you’re stepping into. And for me, a lot of that is the training we do as the Dora Milaje. But it was also clear that there was another journey that we had to take," she told The New York Times. "I remember sitting with [director] Ryan [Coogler], and he helped me process what felt different this time: It was grief. So grief intermingled with our process. There were things I couldn’t prepare for, like stepping into the throne room and remembering the last time I was there and getting really hit by that."

Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia

Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o found filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to be a therapeutic experience following Boseman's untimely passing, but that doesn't mean it was necessarily an easy process.

"There was a lot of stillness, reflection, prayer and meditation to bolster me up as emotionally, mentally and spiritually as possible," she told The New York Times. "It was a unique experience to step back into this world without our leader. When you have a sophomore film, there’s a lot of expectation. But I think the loss of Chadwick kind of took all that away. I found myself having to radically accept that this was going to be different, and that showing up with as much openness as possible was key."

Michaela Coel as Aneka

Michaela Coel joins the MCU as Aneka, a member of the Dora Milaje. In the comics, Aneka trains the Dora Milaje for battle. In the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Aneka uses her glowing swords to cut through soldiers' guns when they try to steal Vibranium.

Florence Kasumba as Ayo

Florence Kasumba returns as Ayo, a member of the Dora Milaje who was crucial to helping The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) become free from HYDRA's brainwashing once and for all in Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

She began training for her fierce fight scenes early. "You have to be physically and mentally so sharp. I started training for this role in May 2021 because mentally, you need to understand that your body has to function for about a year. And because we work with weapons and can hurt ourselves, we also had to be confident enough to do our strikes while also making sure we didn’t harm our colleagues," Kasumba told The New York Times. "The training from the first movie helped us because there’s a lot of muscle memory."

Martin Freeman as Everett Ross

Martin Freeman confirmed his return as CIA agent Everett K. Ross in the Black Panther sequel.

"Yeah, I am doing the second Black Panther," Freeman told Collider in March 2021. "I'm going to be speaking to Ryan Coogler soon about what shape that's going to look like. I have no idea about the script [so] I don't know what's going to happen."

Freeman will also bring the character to Marvel's Secret Invasion TV series.

Tenoch Huerta as Namor

Tenoch Huerta stars as Namor the Submariner in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. "My character is Namor and it's what the people can expect from Namor," Huerta said during the D23 Expo in September 2022. "He's all the time protecting his people. He's taking care of them and he's capable to do whatever he has to do to protect them. If he has to go beyond the limits, he's going to do it."

Mabel Cadena as Namora, Namor's cousin

Mabel Cadena makes her MCU debut as Namora, Namor's cousin, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and she's thrilled to give representation to Mexican women in the franchise.

"[It’s been said that] when a woman raises her voice, we all bloom. These words are really inspiring to me, and I think this is the legacy of the first movie," she told The New York Times. "Before this, I had only worked in Mexico City, so working with these women and Ryan completely changed my life and the way I thought about my career. Now, I have new dreams and new expectations about the way I want to make women characters."

Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart

Dominique Thorne stars as Riri Williams/Ironheart in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and will get her own TV show as well. The role is a dream come true for Thorne, who said in an interview, "I think my mother might disown me if I didn't [love Marvel]. It's very much a Marvel household. I did know about Ironheart before I was approached with the role. So it was an awe-inspiring moment to think that I would be chosen to portray this woman and to bring her to the screen in this way."

Related: Tonya Lewis Lee on the Power Behind Black Panther

What is the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever release date?

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters on Nov. 11, 2022. The first teaser trailer was released on July 23, 2022, at San Diego Comic-Con. Advance tickets will likely go on sale sometime in October 2022.

Related: The Real Reason Daniel Kaluuya Won't Return for Black Panther 2

What is Wakanda Forever going to be about?

According to Marvel Studios' official plot synopsis, Wakanda Forever will show the Wakandan people trying to protect their nation from outside powers in the wake of the King T'Challa's death. The film's first trailer also suggests that Wakanda will come into conflict with Atlantis, an underwater kingdom that has yet to be revealed in previous Marvel films (although its existence has been teased several times). Whether there is or isn't something more nefarious at play behind the conflict as a whole remains to be seen.

Is Ironheart in Wakanda Forever?

Yes, she is! The trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gives a glimpse of Riri Williams, known as Ironheart, bonding with Shuri and working on building something you know will be magnificent enough to help her fill Tony Stark's shoes.

Dominique Thorne plays Ironheart in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both in Wakanda Forever and in her own Ironheart series on Disney+.

Related: Everything to Know About Ironheart

Is Dr. Doom in Wakanda Forever?

Though there were rumors of a post- or mid-credits scene appearance, Dr. Doom is not in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. We'll have to wait a little longer to meet the next Big Bad.

Who's playing Namor in Wakanda Forever?

Tenoch Huerta is playing Namor, one of Marvel Comics' very first characters. Huerta is an actor from Mexico City who has starred in many Latin American and Spanish movies. He recently appeared in The Forever Purge, playing an immigrant trying to keep his family safe during the titular Purge that never ends.

Related: Everything to Know About Marvel's Phase 5

Why did Namor attack Wakanda?

Although the first trailer suggests that Wakanda and the underwater kingdom of Atlantis will come into conflict, Marvel Studios has not confirmed the exact reason for the conflict. The events of the film may be based on the events of Avengers vs X-Men, during which Namor flooded Wakanda while partially possessed by the Phoenix, or follow a different rumor that Dr. Doom orchestrated a war between the two superpowers.

Is Shuri in Wakanda Forever?

Marvel Studios has confirmed that Shuri will appear in Wakanda Forever. Letitia Wright, who portrays the character, appeared in the film's first trailer, where she was shown having an emotional moment, likely in response to the death of Shuri's brother, King T'Challa.

Related: Every Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Release Date

Is Namor a villain or hero?

The first trailer for Wakanda Forever appears to portray Namor as the film's antagonist, but the film's plot will likely be more complicated. Namor has a complicated comic book history and has been portrayed as both a hero and villain. For example, he teamed up with Captain America to fight the Nazis during World War II and has joined the Avengers on multiple occasions, but he's also threatened to flood multiple cities.

Who is going to play the new Black Panther?

While there are many rumors, it has not been confirmed who, if anyone, will take over the role of Black Panther in Wakanda Forever.

While the character of T'Challa is dead in the new film, Black Panther is a title that other characters could presumably take on. In the comics, for example, Shuri has taken on the role of Black Panther.

Is T'Challa dead in Wakanda Forever?

Marvel Studios released an official plot synopsis that confirms that T'Challa died. This is due to the tragic real-world passing of Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed the character in the first Black Panther film, along with several other Marvel properties. The studio has not yet revealed the cause of death for the character.

Who takes over as Black Panther?

In the comics, Shuri has taken on the role of Black Panther, although it has not been confirmed if this will occur in the movie. It's rumored that other characters, such as M'Baku (Duke), could also take on the identity, but Marvel Studios has not confirmed anything. The studio, cast and crew are being tight-lipped on many aspects of the film's plot, including this point.

Next, check out every MCU movie so far—ranked!