Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has started arriving in theaters across the globe, and we're sure you're all excited to see how the sequel plays out. We'll have lots of coverage to share with you over the coming days, including a closer look at many huge moments and reveals.
In the meantime, we're going to focus on the film's ending and specifically how the war between Wakanda and Talokan concludes. That means delving into how the stories of Black Panther and Namor wrap up, what it all sets up in the MCU's future, and why the post-credits scene is extremely important for where Earth-616 goes in The Multiverse Saga and beyond.
So, if you've seen the movie or just can't wait, we have you covered with this breakdown.
Major SPOILERS follow, and we don't want to inadvertently spoil any surprises, so you'll need to click that NEXT button below to find out exactly how the Black Panther sequel's story ends.
How The War Between Wakanda And Talokan Ends
Black Panther and Namor square off in a surprisingly brutal final battle which sees the Talokan anti-hero impale Shuri with his staff. She recovers and manages to overcome her weakened nemesis (who needs water to power himself up), and is ready to deliver a brutal final blow to Namor in order to put an end to his invasion.
However, Shuri thinks back to the impact her brother, T'Challa, and mother, Queen Ramonda, have had on her life, and instead shows her enemy mercy after the latter speaks to her through the Ancestral Plane, reminding Shuri who she is. Echoing T'Challa's actions with Zemo in Captain America: Civil War, Shuri spares Namor after he agrees to yield.
Riri Williams' safety is ensured, and Namor returns to the ocean, leaving the surface world be in exchange for Wakanda keeping his home a secret. Can he really be trusted, though?
Namor's Revenge
Back in Talokan, there's a lot of unhappiness surrounding Namor's decision to make peace with Wakanda.
While he may have been defeated by the Black Panther, the anti-hero is still plotting to bring war to the surface world and believes that Shuri can be easily manipulated. Her empathy and the fact she sees the humanity in him is something Namor sees as a weakness, and as the new Black Panther's only ally, he knows Wakanda will need Talokan down the line.
Marvel Studios has an annoying habit of killing its villains, but the fact Namor has survived strongly suggests he'll continue to be a major player in future MCU stories. Whether that's solely in the Black Panther franchise or beyond remains to be seen.
Wakanda's New King
Prior to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's release, there were rumors that, while Shuri would become Black Panther, she'd later pass the mantle to Winston Duke's M'Baku.
Perhaps that was once the plan, though we now know there was at least some truth to those claims. At the end of the sequel, the tribes gather to crown Shuri as Wakanda's Queen, but she's nowhere to be found. Instead, T'Challa's sister has seemingly decided to concede the throne to M'Baku, making him the nation's King due to her not being there to answer his challenge.
The sacrifices he made during the war with Wakanda and his inherent leadership qualities make him a perfect fit, but where does this leave Shuri, the last remaining member of her family?
An Emotional Mid-Credits Reveal
After previously refusing to burn her ceremonial funeral gown, Shuri heads to Haiti and is joined by Nakia to finally do so and bid farewell to her brother, with her memory flashing back to T'Challa. However, they're joined by a young boy who is revealed to be the fallen King's son.
He and Nakia agreed that he should grow up outside of Wakanda in order to avoid the pressures of the throne, and the boy's Wakandan name is also T'Challa. While Shuri remains Black Panther for now, it's apparent that the plan is for the mantle to eventually be passed to the original Panther's son.
This T'Challa will need to grow up fast, of course, but Marvel Studios clearly plans to honour Chadwick Boseman by having his character's son one day pick up where he left off, likely many Phases of storytelling from now. In the comics, T'Challa and Storm have a son who grows up to be Black Panther in a future timeline, so perhaps that's the plan for The Kang Dynasty?