Back in 2022, Black Panther’s story continued in the MCU with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, made over $800m, and then… well, nothing. A sequel wasn’t rushed into production, for some reason, despite discussion of Black Panther 3‘s inevitable existence, and it wasn’t until Denzel Washington said he was being cast in the sequel that we really got any sense that those plans would become something concrete. There’s still no date for the project, but Marvel has a vacant 2027 spot and 4 slots dated for 2028. If one of them isn’t the official return of Letitia Wright’s Shuri and Wakanda, it will be very surprising. But that would mean 5 or possibly 6 years between the sequels, and that’s a long time to wait.
Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars will likely both bring Shuri back, with the former already confirmed to include the Wakandans, but with Doomsday not coming for another 18 months, any bone thrown to Black Panther fans will be hungrily gobbled up. And that’s exactly what the MCU has done, thanks to the opening episode of Ironheart, which features a cameo by Letitia Wright’s Shuri.
The cameo comes with a downside: Shuri’s appearance barely even qualifies as brief. During Riri’s opening montage where she explains her embrace of extracurricular, extra-legal activities while studying at MIT. Riri reveals in voice over that after and internship in Wakanda (presumably after her suit was taken off her), she realised that she’d need the equivalent of “a mountain of vibranium” to realize her potential goal. That speech comes with a shot of Shuri in the Wakandan lab, busily working out a complex equation. It’s not a lot, but it’s the most we’ve had in live-action for almost 3 years.
That’s the problem with the current MCU model: even the most successful of Marvel movies leads to an extended period of nothing at all. Right now, despite a few rumors, and Washington’s premature confirmation of his own involvement, we know largely nothing about Black Panther 3. And while it’s likely it will be one of the currently untitled but announced MCU release slots, without the concrete confirmation, all we have is a few moments confirming Marvel remembers Black Panther.
Wakanda’s part in Riri’s story is a little odd, given her ambitious character was always going to lead to issues when Shuri removed her access to her second Ironheart armor. So quite why the Dora Milaje aren’t lurking in the shadows looking out for her (particularly when she could still be a target for Talokan dissidents) is unclear. That would have resolved the entire plot of Ironheart in seconds, though, so logically, you can see why Wakanda’s presence is so faintly felt.
Ironheart‘s first 3 episodes are streaming on Disney+ now.
