It's a new day in Wakanda, with a new face on the throne, a new Black Panther, and a
fearsome ocean-dwelling new enemy.
There's even a new "Iron" person – and plenty of questions about what's coming next.
Warning: major spoilers ahead for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."
After King T'Chaka meets his untimely end in "Captain America: Civil War," his son T'Challa
becomes the new leader of Wakanda.
In order to make his position official, T'Challa goes through a ceremony involving ritual combat.
But when T'Challa himself dies before the events of "Wakanda Forever," Ramonda becomes
the country's leader, apparently by default.
Shuri, the only other royal in Wakanda, seems fine with this situation, as she prefers to
spend her time in her lab.
But then Ramonda abruptly dies due to Namor's actions, making Shuri Wakanda's de facto leader.
This development is overshadowed by the fact that Shuri also becomes the Black Panther
shortly afterward.
It's this superheroic title she invokes to declare war on Namor and his people.
"Without the Black Panther…Wakanda will fall."
In one of the final scenes of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," the ceremony that solidified
T'Challa's leadership is staged once more, indicating that Shuri is ready to officially
become queen.
But it's M'Baku, not Shuri, who emerges to take part in the ritual.
Fans know that M'Baku has coveted the throne since the first "Black Panther" film, in which
he challenges T'Challa and loses.
But in this case, there's no one there to challenge.
Does that mean M'Baku gets the throne by default?
While Shuri deliberately skips the ceremony, it's not clear if she sent M'Baku in her place
with the intention of making him king.
It's certainly possible.
Shuri's never seemed all that interested in leadership, and she might feel that M'Baku
is a better choice for the role.
But ultimately, the question of who will be the country's new leader is left open.
One of the biggest developments in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is the introduction
of Riri Williams, a genius MIT student and the inventor of the vibranium detection device
that the United States uses to search for the valuable metal.
This invention puts her squarely in Namor's crosshairs.
Shuri and Okoye travel to America to protect Riri, and soon learn she's created an Iron
Man-style suit in her garage.
When she joins the fight against Namor and the Talokans, it's mainly to repay her debt
to Wakanda for saving her.
Being a superhero long-term doesn't seem to be part of Riri's plans, and by the end of
the movie, she's on her way back to MIT.
This surely isn't the last we'll see of her, though.
For one thing, she's the star of the upcoming "Ironheart" Disney+ series, which indicates
she'll take up the call of a hero and become an official do-gooder.
Plus, she's one of many young superheroes introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's
Phase 4, including America Chavez, Ms. Marvel, and Kate Bishop.
Riri seems all but certain to team up with them as part of a Young Avengers-style group
somewhere down the line.
Okoye has a life-altering storyline in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."
Not only is she devastated by T'Challa's death, but a frantic Ramonda, who blames her for
losing Shuri to Namor and the Talokans in Boston, fires her from the Dora Milaje.
And it seems like Okoye does her best to leave her former life behind.
When Ramonda dies and Shuri comes to enlist her in the fight against the Talokans, Okoye
initially seems reluctant.
Fortunately, Shuri has an added incentive: a suit she refers to as the Midnight Angel.
Throughout the film, Shuri tries to get Okoye to accept upgrades to the Dora Milaje's armor
and weapons, with no real luck.
But things change when Okoye sees Shuri's Midnight Angel prototype.
She, along with Ayo and Aneka, wear the new suits during the movie's climactic final battle.
Not only does this allow Okoye to jump back into action, it also means she's part of a
new elite fighting unit.
Comic book fans will recognize the Midnight Angels as a strike force within the Dora Milaje.
In their very first outing, they take on the infamous Dr. Doom after he steals Wakanda's vibranium.
Could this mean that Okoye and the Midnight Angels will be the vehicle through which the
Fantastic Four antagonist is introduced to the MCU?
Possibly.
Here's what we do know.
The last we see of Okoye in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," she's rescuing Agent Everett
Ross from CIA custody entirely solo, likely at Shuri's request.
One way or another, Okoye is once again an important player in Wakanda's affairs, and
could become a more visible figure in the larger MCU.
In "Black Panther," Killmonger burns all of the heart-shaped herbs that empower the Black
Panther, in an effort to prevent anyone else from gaining its impressive gifts.
Shuri spends most of "Wakanda Forever" attempting to genetically engineer a new version of the
herb, and endures repeated failures.
But then, she uses a leaf that is part of a gift from Namor, which turns out to have
similar properties as the heart-shaped herb.
Shuri discovers how to reconstitute the herb, thanks to this addition, and hastily ingests
it, making her the new Black Panther.
By the end of the film, Wakandans are planting the newly reborn heart-shaped herb, ensuring
they have a supply for future Wakandan protectors.
In many ways, Shuri's decision to become the Black Panther makes sense, based on Wakanda's history.
She's the nation's current leader, and the leader and Black Panther are often the same
person, though this is not necessarily a requirement.
Plus, Shuri has repeatedly proven herself a capable fighter when the need arises.
"Only the most broken people...can be great leaders."
However, by the end of the film, her desire to stay on the Wakandan throne is in question.
Shuri's greatest skill remains her scientific genius, and the stunning technological advances
it enables her to create.
It's possible that Shuri could abdicate her responsibility as the leader of Wakanda, or
at least share the duties with another.
Maybe the role of the ruler and Black Panther could split, allowing the latter to focus
on the day-to-day protection of the nation.
If M'baku becomes king, would he allow such an arrangement?
CIA agent Everett Ross is drawn into the plot of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" when Okoye
and Shuri travel to America and approach him for the name of the individual who created
the vibranium-detecting device.
While Ross is reluctant to share the information, he eventually relents, because of his ongoing
loyalty to the Wakandans.
By giving up the name, he commits a crime against the United States.
Unfortunately for him, it's only a matter of time before the CIA director discovers
his treachery.
The fact that the CIA director happens to be Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the woman
who's been pulling strings behind the scenes with people like John Walker, aka U.S. Agent,
and Yelena Belova — not to mention the shocking revelation that she used to be married to
Agent Ross — brings up all sorts of questions about what Val's endgame is and how Ross could
play a part in it.
Val's decision to have Ross arrested and taken into custody is actually pretty by-the-books,
given what he does.
Whether she feels this gives her an advantage in her shadowy plans or she just wants to
make Ross pay for sharing American secrets because she's a good CIA director isn't clear.
Either way, with Ross now free and likely in Wakanda after being rescued by Okoye, it's
natural to wonder if this could set up a showdown between Val and the Wakandans.
Ross doesn't seem to especially like Val, but there is a certain familiarity there that
could be useful, if and when she stirs up trouble in the future.
That could happen in the upcoming "Thunderbolts" movie, or another production altogether.
The introduction of Namor is a big deal for both the world of the "Black Panther" movies
and the MCU as a whole, especially since he's the rare Marvel antagonist who survives the
conclusion of the film.
In the end, he ends up agreeing to a truce between Wakanda and Talokan, bringing the
fight between the two countries to an end.
However, the Talokans are incredibly antagonistic to Wakanda and the rest of the world throughout
the film.
They first kill everyone in the American research facility searching for vibranium in the ocean
depths, and later attack Wakanda after Nakia kills a Talokan while rescuing Shuri and Riri.
Throughout the movie, Namor rails against the evils of the surface world.
He wants to keep Talokan hidden from those who dwell on land, and seems prepared to kill
anyone who could compromise that objective.
It seems his people agree with this stance, to the point that the truce with Wakanda frustrates
at least some of them.
Yet, when Namora confronts him about his decision to walk away peacefully, Namor ominously claims
that when the surface world comes for Wakanda, Wakanda will turn to Talokan.
Namor seems to think that Wakanda's resources will be too much for the world to resist,
eventually leading to a massive war only the Talokans can help them fight.
At that point, the Talokans will have the opportunity to bring the surface world to
its knees, as they originally planned.
However, it's hard to imagine the whole world openly taking on Wakanda, or that Wakanda
would need Talokan's help against far less technologically advanced countries.
On the other hand, it's undeniable that the world is preoccupied with finding vibranium.
Namor might very well have a point.
Fans who are eagerly awaiting the appearance of the X-Men in the MCU are likely to cheer
when Namor refers to himself as a mutant in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."
The comics often describe him as the first mutant, so his emergence as the MCU's first
official member of that group creates a wonderful symmetry.
While there have been hints about the existence of mutants in the MCU before, most prominently
in the Disney+ series "Ms. Marvel…"
"Kamala, there's something different in your genes.
Like, like a mutation."
…Namor is the first to identify himself this way.
Moreover, based on the origins he shares with his underwater kingdom, he's been around for
a very long time.
Namor's introduction suggests there could be many other mutants in the MCU just waiting
to be revealed.
No plans have yet been announced for an official MCU "X-Men" film, but we know Logan will be
part of "Deadpool 3."
What could this mean?
Just like the MCU has introduced several possible members of a Young Avengers-style super-team,
so too could the MCU introduce mutant characters with the goal of bringing them together in
an X-Men-esque group.
Namor could also play an important role in a variety of other outings, including the
MCU's upcoming "Fantastic Four" film.
The mid-credits scene of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" introduces the character of Toussaint,
son of Nakia and T'Challa, who reveals his real name is T'Challa Jr.
Nakia has kept her child a secret from the Wakandan people at T'Challa's request.
However, if the country's line of succession runs through the king, then T'Challa Jr. is
the rightful heir to the throne.
Shuri seems surprised, but happy to meet her nephew.
It's possible her reaction is the result of relief that there is someone else who could
ultimately be responsible for leading Wakanda.
Obviously, T'Challa Jr. is far too young to take on the duties of a king, but either Shuri
or Nakia could act as his regent until he's ready to fulfill his role.
Moreover, T'Challa Jr. could also become the Black Panther when he's old enough.
While Nakia seems to want to keep her son in Haiti for the time being, she indicates
her plan is to bring him to Wakanda eventually.
The question is, when will that happen?
Even more pressingly, what will it mean for the future of Wakanda and the MCU as a whole?
It's possible we won't hear about T'Challa Jr. again for quite some time.
At that far-off point, T'Challa Jr. could become the leader his father intended to become
before his untimely death.
But the young boy also has the potential to cause an enormous shake-up in the Wakandan
power structure.
The MCU tends to be pretty calculated in its revelations, so we're betting that we'll see
more of T'Challa Jr. sooner rather than later.