The identity of the new Black Panther will ultimately be revealed in Wakanda Forever, but there is already a tonne of proof that Shuri is actually wearing the Black Panther outfit. The fate of Black Panther as a character in the MCU has been a subject of discussion ever since the untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020. There have been requests for T'Challa to be recast in order to preserve the character's history, but Marvel Studios chose not to do so out of respect for Boseman. As a result, speculation has turned to who would replace T'Challa as Wakanda's defender in the MCU.

As the promotion for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in the Marvel Cinematic Universe picked up, Marvel Studios gave fans plenty of proof that Shuri (Letitia Wright), T'Challa's sister, would be taking over in the MCU. Shuri's identity as the Black Panther in Wakanda Forever has been all but formally established through merchandise designs, posters that drop lots of hints, and footage seen in teasers and tv advertisements. Having said that, below is a detailed analysis of every piece of evidence that led to this apparent identification of the new Black Panther.

At SDCC 2022, Marvel Studios unveiled the first teaser trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, providing the public with their first official look at the movie. At the very end of the trailer, there is only one shot of the new Black Panther. The first indication of Shuri's fight with Namor and Talocan came from the new Black Panther having a more typically feminine shape, despite it not being quite evident who is inside the suit. The new Black Panther bore his claws in the final frame of the trailer, a wounded Namor in the distance. Many people assumed that either Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) or Shuri was wearing the outfit because of Black Panther's more feminine shape.

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