For the third week in a row, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has dominated the box office, and viewers are dying to know more about the future of this franchise. Since the second installment of Black Panther is still fresh, there aren’t too many official announcements by Marvel about Black Panther 3. Nonetheless, we’re here to put your mind at ease about a few burning questions that have been circulating around social media after the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While we wait for more news from Marvel studios, we can’t help but wonder what’s next in store for Wakanda and Shuri, who has now taken on the mantle of Black Panther.
While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a beautiful tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, it also had several new characters, plotlines, and plot twists that might have come as a shock to several viewers, unless they are well versed with the Marvel comics. Before you proceed further into this article, we must warn you that there will be spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t watched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever just yet, we recommend saving this article, and reading it after you’ve watched it unless you like spoilers! So, here’s everything you need to know about Black Panther 3:
Wakanda 💜
— Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (@theblackpanther) November 28, 2022
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: #WakandaForever, now playing only in theaters. Get tickets now: https://t.co/ACmjU3Q62m pic.twitter.com/krWM3mJhak
Has Black Panther 3 Been Confirmed Yet?
Marvel Studios has not officially confirmed Black Panther 3 just yet. Marvel has been caught up with several other releases in Phase 5 and Phase 6, ranging from The Marvels to Secret Invasion, to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, to Echo, to Thunderbolts amongst several others. Undoubtedly, Marvel Studios has a busy schedule for the next few years, at least till 2025. However, even though we don’t have official news for Black Panther 3, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever did give us a nudge toward Black Panther 3. At the end of the second movie, the black screen reads, “Black Panther will return.” We saw something similar at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder too, but what do these statements really mean? For Thor, since Chris Hemsworth has already done four movies, maybe that means he won’t get another feature all to himself, but might appear in other movies like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars.
However, Black Panther might just get the trilogy treatment like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Chris Evans’ Captain America, and Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man. While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ended on a rather peaceful note, with Shuri finding out that she has had a nephew all along, we believe that is the ideal setup for Black Panther 3, which will fall somewhere further in the MCU timeline. That is one possibility, maybe Black Panther 3 will have a time jump with a grown-up T’Challa aka Toussaint. If Black Panther 3 is still a while away, maybe the return of Black Panther means Shuri featuring in the upcoming Marvel projects, somewhere in Phases 5 and 6. Considering the fact that there will be newer and bigger supervillains, the Avengers will need all the help they can get, and that might just include Shuri.
Nevertheless, we do hope Black Panther 3 will be in the works eventually, and we hear more about it when that happens.
Is There a Release Date for Black Panther 3 Yet?
Since Marvel Studios is yet to officially confirm Black Panther 3, we don’t have a release date just yet. However, that doesn’t stop us from doing the math and speculating. The first Black Panther was released in 2018, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was released in 2022, and according to this, Black Panther 3 will potentially release in 2026! If we assume that Black Panther 3 won’t be a part of Phases 5 and 6, which is a possibility, then according to that, Black Panther 3 will be a part of the next phase of MCU, which will also begin sometime in 2026. So keeping both these theories in mind, we can expect to see Black Panther 3 in 2026! Yes, we are aware it’s a long wait, but given how good the first two movies were, the wait will be worth it.
However, while Black Panther 3 won’t release until 2026, doesn’t mean we won’t see Black Panther before that. Phases 5 and 6 will have several cross-over moments, and undoubtedly, Tenoch Huerta’s Namor will appear in some upcoming projects, and if he’s around, it is possible that Shuri will also be present. It is unsure whether we will return to Wakanda in the next two phases, but we can expect to see Black Panther continue to fight the good fight, and maybe even help the Avengers out in the two movies that will end Phase 6, and set up a possible Phase 7 of the MCU.
What Will Black Panther 3 Be About?
It is too soon to tell what the plot of Black Panther 3 will be, however, there are a few theories. We’re hoping Black Panther 3 takes us back to Wakanda, maybe a few years later, the time has passed and Toussaint is old enough to return to Wakanda along with Nakia. Black Panther 3 could follow the journey of Toussaint taking over his father’s legacy. If M’baku becomes king of Wakanda, maybe Toussaint will challenge him.
All this while, we hope Black Panther 3 continues with Shuri doing the right thing, saving the right people, and not making too many enemies in the process. We have to remember that a potential Black Panther 3 will release after two very explosive and intense phases of the MCU which could unleash villains and monsters whose strength we cannot even fathom. There are several possible plots that might take over Black Panther 3 and it is only a matter of time before we learn more about them. We recommend keeping a close look at all the upcoming Marvel projects and hope there are some Black Panther 3 easter eggs along the way!
Conclusion
If and when Black Panther 3 releases, it will be tough for it to follow the emotional tribute that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was. Nevertheless, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Marvel Studios gives us something more concrete in the upcoming months, even if it’s just a title for Black Panther 3.
Deepti is a prolific content writer for OpenMediaHub who specializes in movies, tv shows, and web series, along with occasional reviews. Her interests lie in watching different genres and reading comics books, although her main passion is writing for as long as she remembers.
