In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's closing moments, Winston Duke's M'Baku arrives at Warrior Falls to challenge for Wakanda's throne. Shuri wasn't there to greet him, and it was clear, although never directly stated, that she had decided to abdicate the throne to him despite the fact she now holds the Black Panther mantle.
Talking to Esquire, Duke confirmed M'Baku is now Wakanda's new King, following in the footsteps of T'Chaka, T'Challa, Erik Killmonger, and Queen Ramonda.
"Yeah, it’s kind of cool to be revealed as the King of Wakanda at the end of the movie," the actor said. "That’s huge. So whatever that entails, it’s gonna be a fun one."
"You know, I love the support that I've gotten from the fans," he added when asked about not being chosen as the next Black Panther. "I think the strength of Black Panther has always been the ensemble. It's always been [that] Black Panther [has] had to lean on everyone around him. Whether M'Baku's the next anything, it's still gonna be a great ensemble piece."
After saying he would love to see the franchise continue with "a third, fourth, fifth, [and] sixth film," Duke also shared his reaction to Letitia Wright's Shuri inheriting the mantle from Chadwick Boseman and T'Challa. "She is the new Black Panther, rightfully so," he started. "It follows the story of the comic books."
"[It] makes a lot of sense that, you know, it stays within the Panther Tribe and family. She does an incredible job as the new Black Panther."
While it's clear M'Baku has a bright future in the MCU, could we see the character take centre stage in his own spin-off? It would make perfect sense, and after he had a smaller role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fans are keen to see more of the scene-stealing new King of Wakanda.
"I'd love to see a spin-off for M'Baku," Duke confirmed. "I said it before, and I'll say it again. The Jabari culture is so rich, there's so much. They are an entity onto themselves in the mountains. And, in the process, we did a lot of work."
We'll see what the future holds in store, but can't wait for M'Baku to step back into the spotlight. As Wakanda's King, something tells us he'll have a much bigger role in Black Panther 3.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters.