Prior to the first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever being released, there was a lot of speculation surrounding who would inherit the mantle from Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa.
Shuri seemed the obvious choice, but with various controversies surrounding Letitia Wright, names like M'Baku, Okoye, and even Kevin "Kasper" Kole started doing the rounds online. It soon became obvious that Shuri would become the MCU's new Black Panther, and we'd say Marvel Studios made the right decision based on what we saw in the sequel.
The costume used in the movie was great, but new concept art revealed by Wes Burt has shown how different Shuri could have looked in the MCU.
In the Instagram post below, there's a mixture of similar, vastly different, and even weird takes on the character's Black Panther costume. However, if they all have one thing in common, it's that they'd have looked pretty damn cool on screen.
Paying homage to the comics and the Wakandan culture created by Marvel Studios (which is, of course, inspired by real-life African nations), Burt found some interesting ways to put a fresh spin on the hero. We don't know when or where Shuri will return, but expect her to get another costume when she does; with that in mind, it's possible these ideas will be revisited.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ranks among Marvel Studios' best movies, and is an emotional, uplifting, tour de force of a blockbuster," we said in our review of the sequel last month. "Letitia Wright delivers a powerhouse performance, while Angela Bassett’s majestic work will leave you reeling."
The movie, which doesn't look set to make quite as much at the box office as its predecessor, has already generated Oscar buzz and serves as a fitting tribute to Boseman and T'Challa.
Check out these alternate Black Panther costume designs below.