Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks set to bring war to Wakanda as the world attempts to capitalise on the death of T'Challa. Who picks up the mantle of Black Panther remains to be seen, though Winston Duke's M'Baku is still a top pick among fans. He fought for the throne in the previous movie, but ultimately became an ally to T'Challa.
Talking to ComicBook.com at D23, Duke spoke about M'Baku surviving Thanos' attack on Earth and explained that the five years he spent in Wakanda during T'Challa's absence will have changed the character a lot.
"I think M'Baku is forced to catch up with the times," the actor explained. "His role has changed. He survived The Snap, he is now a part of the Tribal Council so he's more forward-facing and less insular. So he's been forced to really be a part of the collective transparency. I think that's a really cool thing for him and you get to see a whole new dynamic including him."
In other words, it sounds like M'Baku has definitely embraced being a hero, something we have to believe sets the stage for him to potentially become the MCU's new Black Panther.
Time will tell on that front, but in trailers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the character has been shown squaring off with Namor the Submariner. While Duke admitted to The Los Angeles Times that he initially thought of the character as "another Aquaman," he now believes there's actually a lot more to him.
"In our version, it feels a lot more real than fiction. In the MCU fashion, we’ve grounded it in real cultural significance and cultural traditions. You see the Latinx contingent that is present visually. Ryan Coogler’s creation within the Marvel cinematic landscape is one of deep honor and connection to real stuff. So I think a lot of people are gonna see themselves represented."
Hype continues to build for the Black Panther sequel, and M'Baku being front and centre is a good reason to be excited. While we wish Chadwick Boseman was still with us so T'Challa could team up with his former rival, we've no doubt that Duke and the rest of the cast will do everything they can to honour the actor.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on November 11!
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