Shuri became the new Black Panther in Phase 4's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, setting up a huge role for her in the MCU's future. The late Chadwick Boseman debuted as T'Challa, a.k.a. the Black Panther, in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, quickly becoming one of the MCU's most popular heroes. However, following Boseman's tragic 2020 ing, Ryan Coogler's Black Panther sequel also featured the death of T'Challa to an unknown illness, leaving the nation of Wakanda without its King or its protector. Letitia Wright's Shuri was gifted a larger role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but it's unclear how permanent her new superhero position will be.
After finally managing to create a synthetic version of the heart-shaped herb, Shuri assumed the role of Black Panther in the MCU's Phase 4, allowing the Wakandans to battle Namor and the Talokanil more effectively. In Marvel Comics, Shuri became the Black Panther after T'Challa fell into a coma, but in the MCU, it seemed that Shuri accepted the responsibilities of the Black Panther reluctantly. This suggests she may not be long for the job, which raises the question of how long Shuri will be the MCU's Black Panther and who might take her place if and when she gives the title up.
Shuri Will Likely Be Black Panther In Avengers 5 & 6
Having Shuri become the Black Panther at the end of the MCU's Phase 4 perhaps implies that she will hang onto the mantle for a while, most likely returning in Phase 6's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. The Multiverse Saga's team-up films will surely require the involvement of a Black Panther, and Shuri will certainly want to carry on her brother's legacy by aiding Earth's Mightiest Heroes in the battle against Kang the Conqueror - and whatever other villains may show up. In Marvel Comics' Secret Wars event in 2015, the Black Panther plays a major role, so perhaps this part could be played by Shuri.
The Black Panther and Namor team up in 2015's Secret Wars storyline, working together on Battleworld to try and take down the tyrannical Doctor Doom. At the close of the epic storyline, T'Challa dons the Infinity Gauntlet, acting as a distraction for Doom so that Reed Richards can defeat him, and when Battleworld is destroyed, the Black Panther uses the Gauntlet to recreate the universe. Should this storyline play out in the MCU's Phase 6, this would give Shuri a massive role in the Avengers: Secret Wars, allowing her to perfectly encapsulate T'Challa's spirit and dedication while also giving her version of the Black Panther a memorable purpose.
Black Panther 3 Hasn't Been Announced Yet
After the success of 2018's Black Panther and its 2022 sequel, a third film seems to be inevitable, though there has been no confirmation from Marvel Studios just yet. In November 2022, it was reported that Coogler and Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige had been in talks about a potential Black Panther 3 (via Variety). Letitia Wright even suggested to Variety (via Twitter) that, though a third film was "already in the works," it was going to "take a while." It's possible that Black Panther 3 could be confirmed by Marvel Studios later in 2023, particularly since there are still several empty slots in the MCU's Phase 6.
While Black Panther 3 might not have been confirmed by Marvel Studios yet, the MCU's Ironheart series on Disney+ is set to act as a sort of sequel to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The series will see Dominique Thorne reprise the role of Riri Williams from Wakanda Forever, picking up with her after the events of the Phase 4 film, so it's possible that some beloved Wakandan characters could appear in the series. This may be the perfect place for Letitia Wright to show up as Shuri ahead of more major appearances in the MCU's Phase 6 and beyond, leading up to a potential Black Panther 3.
Everything We Know About Letitia Wright's Marvel Contract
In the early days of the MCU, multi-film contracts were typical for Marvel Studios to ensure that its high-profile actors would stick around for several years to develop and grow their characters. Samuel L. Jackson and Sebastian Stan famously signed nine-picture deals, and Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth racked up six-picture deals with Marvel Studios - though some carried on after their contract was up. However, now that the MCU is much larger and a staple of modern cinema, these huge contracts are seemingly a thing of the past, and as such, Letitia Wright's contract with Marvel Studios isn't currently public knowledge.
While there are upsides to shortening MCU actors' contracts, some of the franchise's bigger stars perhaps still have some of these slightly longer deals. Downey Jr. was re-signed for a three-picture deal following Avengers: Age of Ultron, so it's possible that Wright's contract as Shuri has seen her receive one of these deals. Since the Black Panther could be pivotal to Avengers: Secret Wars, it would make sense for Marvel Studios to lock down Wright for at least enough projects to bring her story to an end in Phase 6. Even so, nothing has been confirmed, so it's possible that Shuri could be the MCU's Black Panther for years to come.
Black Panther 2 Already Set Up Shuri's Replacement
Though it's unclear exactly how long Letitia Wright will perform as the MCU's Black Panther, it seems that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever already set up her perfect replacement as the protector of Wakanda. After an emotional, grief-ridden journey, Wakanda Forever's post-credits scene introduced audiences to the secret son of Boseman's T'Challa, Toussaint. Portrayed by Divine Love Konadu-Sun, Toussaint has been raised in Haiti by his mother, Nakia, away from the pressures of the Wakandan throne. His debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also saw him state his true Wakandan name: Prince T'Challa, son of King T'Challa.
At eight years old, Konadu-Sun is certainly too young to take up the mantle of Black Panther in the MCU's present day. However, Marvel Studios seems to have been teasing the eventual formation of the MCU's Young Avengers, which could mark the perfect place for Toussaint to be developed further, should he take over the Black Panther position from Shuri. Toussaint's debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever means that, without recasting Boseman's role, Marvel Studios can continue to adapt Black Panther stories from Marvel Comics for years to come, even if it's not Shuri who's in the driver's seat - though she will be for the foreseeable future.
