(rhythmic drum music)
- [Scott] How are you doing, you wonderful nerds?
Scott here, and I hope that you're still riding that high
from Black Panther even though it came out
a few weeks ago.
Please tell me that you are still hyped about it,
because we actually have a couple videos
about Black Panther coming out this week,
and I need you to like 'em!
Look, we're almost always late to things here at NerdSync,
but not today, because today we're not talkin' about
the first Black Panther movie, what that ancient thing?
No, we're gonna be talking about something
that'll be coming out in the future, probably.
That's right, we're gonna be talking about
the sequel to Black Panther today.
I don't even think that it's been announced,
let me just check really quickly.
(papers rustling)
Hmm, ya know it seems my internet is made of paper.
Have to get that looked at.
Anyway, I don't think it's too soon to start speculating
about what a Black Panther sequel
could theoretically look like.
And to do that we have a guest video today
from the channel Captain Midnight,
who has a handful of ideas of where he thinks
Marvel could take the next Black Panther story.
Take it away, sir.
(rumbling)
- [Captain Midnight] In one of his most well known
turns of phrase, Benjamin Franklin said,
"In this world nothing can be certain
"except death and taxes."
With all due respect to old Ben,
I think it's pretty safe to add
a Black Panther sequel to that list.
(record scratching)
(intense music)
I mean seriously, have you seen these box office returns?
They're insane.
But what would a Black Panther sequel look like, exactly?
Well, I'm Captain Midnight, and I'm here to offer up
a few ideas of where Ryan Coogler and company
could take the series in the future.
Oh, and there will be some major spoilers
for Black Panther in here, so you know, just be warned.
Option one, betrayed.
There's been quite a few characters
to take the name of Malice throughout Marvel history,
the earliest of which was actually a buddy
of Erik Killmonger's, who attacked Wakanda all the way back
in Jungle Action volume two number eight from 1974.
But it wasn't until a new character
took up the mantle of Malice in 1998
with Christopher Priest's run on Black Panther
that things got really interesting.
Because this Malice was none other than Nakia,
who MCU fans will, of course, recognize
as a major character in this year's blockbuster.
Now, her story in the comics was very different,
and heavily involved Killmonger too.
So any movie version of this heel turn into villainy
would need to be significantly reshaped,
but I do think there is a ton of potential
in taking a character like this
who has such a close relationship with T'Challa,
and putting them at odds with each other.
One of the best things about Ryan Coogler's movie
is that Killmonger has a very understandable,
and in many ways very sympathetic
backstory and point of view.
With Nakia, this could be taken to the next level
creating maybe the most morally ambiguous Marvel film ever.
Because although her and T'Challa were getting along great
at the end of the film, it is clear that there
is some differences between them,
and it would be interesting to see that explored here.
It would also be a pretty radical and subversive move
to see the lead's love interest from the first film
be the antagonist of the sequel,
and I think it could work well here.
Because of course Nakia is so much more
than just a love interest.
She's also a very accomplished Wakandan spy and warrior.
Putting these two characters at odds could make for some
very compelling and very emotional storytelling.
Option 2, unwanted aid.
As you probably already know if you're watching this,
Black Panther's first post credits scene
features T'Challa announcing to the UN
that Wakanda is gonna step up to the world stage,
and share its technology with other countries.
This leads to some interesting questions,
like what would happen if Wakanda tried to help out
another country, but its rulers were dead set
on using the vibranium for themselves,
instead of helping their people?
That could present an interesting problem for the new king.
But what country's leaders
would be terrible enough to do this?
Well, how about a little nation
not yet featured in the MCU called Latveria?
Now, okay, I'll admit this one is kind of a long shot,
with the Disney Fox buyout not being finalized yet,
and all those messy rights issues,
but seriously how cool would it be
to introduce Doctor Doom in a Black Panther sequel?
Doctor Doom as the ruler of an entire county
isn't really something we've seen on screen before.
In the 2005 movie he was just an annoying CEO.
In the 2015 film he was, like,
a computer programmer or something.
I mean he didn't even get to be a dictator
in the unreleased early 90's Fantastic Four movie.
Black Panther two would be a great way
to introduce this element of Doom
in a way that doesn't feel forced.
And honestly, after three little loved movies in a row,
it might be smart to start introducing
Fantastic Four characters in other MCU movies
to get audiences more interested in them.
Because right now the brand name is pretty tainted.
More importantly, though, I think having
Doctor Doom as the antagonist in Black Panther two
could set up a very interesting contrast
between T'Challa and Victor, and could give the sequel
a villain as interesting as the first film's.
Option three, arms race.
Another character I would love to see
face off against the Black Panther is Moses Magnum,
a fairly obscure character first seen
in Giant Size Spider-Man number four
all the way back in 1975.
Introduced as the head of
the Deterrent Research Corporation,
Magnum is a ruthless business man who isn't afraid
to stab anyone in the back at the drop of a hat.
In the comic's continuity, this guy sold out
his own people in Ethiopia and sided with Benito Mussolini
just so that he could learn more
about Italian military technology.
And with T'Challa's big announcement
that Wakanda is totally filled to the brim with vibranium,
a material we know to be capable
of creating some pretty crazy weaponry,
it only makes sense that magnum would
try to capitalize on this however he could.
Kinda think Little Finger from Game of Thrones
but as the head of a weapons company.
I think he would be a really great counterpoint to T'Challa
who is a very honorable warrior king type.
Seeing him have to put up with someone
who is completely willing to play dirty,
and go to any lengths to secure Wakanda's
natural resources for himself could be a lot of fun.
And the role of Moses Magnum
could easily be played as the weaselly,
love to hate type like Loki in the Avengers.
Or, to get really old school,
in the tradition of Hans Gruber in Die Hard.
However he's played, I really think Moses Magnum
could serve as a more cerebral, calculating villain,
and it would be interesting to see
T'Challa take him on after Killmonger,
who is much more driven by his passions and anger.
Option four, invasion.
Now, you may have noticed a trend in my ideas so far
in that most of them relate to Wakanda's decision
to go public with their wealth and technology
at the end of the movie.
I think this is one of the smartest choices
that Ryan Coogler made when writing the script.
Because not only does it give T'Challa
a solid arc in his first film,
it also sets up so many possibilities
Making that decision is such a double-edged sword,
because it finally gives Wakanda
a chance to help more people, but it also puts
a giant, juggernaut sized target on their back.
Plus, and like all of you I haven't seen it yet,
so please allow me some room for speculation here,
it really looks like Wakanda is gonna get hit hard
by the events of Avengers: Infinity War.
If that's the case, it only makes sense
that other big players on the world stage
might try to take advantage of that,
and try to take Wakanda's resources for themselves.
I think this could be a fascinating story
to tell in Black Panther two, because what T'Challa did
was one of the biggest changes
to Wakandan society ever attempted.
And sometimes change is really, really difficult.
Seeing a large scale invasion from other countries
would really put T'Challa's beliefs to the test,
and could lay the groundwork
for a very interesting introspective story.
Think about the best superhero movie sequels of all time.
Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight,
Steel 2 Back to the Steel Mill.
Wait, what?
But what those first two do really well
is to tear the hero down after the first film built them up,
putting them through the ringer emotionally
and making them question whether any of this is worth it
at all, before finally coming to the conclusion
that they are needed,
and that they do serve an important purpose.
I would love to see Black Panther two do this as well,
and put T'Challa through his toughest challenge yet.
At the end of the first film, we see a hero
who is finally confident in who he is,
both as the Black Panther and as the leader of Wakanda.
And I think for the sequel to be truly great,
it needs to put all of that to the test.
(energetic music)
- [Scott] Definitely a lot of ideas there.
I certainly agree that at the end of the movie
when T'Challa comes clean about Wakanda to the public,
it opens a lot of doors
for what a potential sequel could look like.
A lot of really interesting paths they could take,
that it's undoubtedly going to
come into play in the next movie.
But I would love to know what you guys think
in the comments below.
Which one of these ideas is your favorite?
Or if you have an idea of own, let us know.
I love chattin' with you guys in the comments
as soon as a new video goes live.
It's one of my favorite parts of the job,
one of my favorite things that we get to do.
So thank you so much to everyone who does comment,
and please, please make sure
to go check out Captain Midnight's channel.
It's linked right here on screen,
couldn't make it easier for ya.
I would highly recommend this video right here
that he posted recently about how Marvel
created a phenomenon through the character of Black Panther.
It's really great.
I'll stop talking now, thank you guys so much for watching.
My name is Scott, reminding you to read between the panels
and grow smarter through comics.
See ya.