The Marvel Cinematic Universe would be required to make some major decisions in order to go ahead. There is a lot of mystery regarding the upcoming sequel to the Black Panther movie as it will be moving from the death of Chadwick Boseman. A lot of focus is being made on who might be the next Black Panther in the franchise even though Marvel Studios stated that the mantle won’t be given to anyone. There can be another way through which we can see a new leader for the people of Wakanda in the MCU based on the narrative used by Moon Knight. Let us have a look if the Moon Knight series might have the solution for the Black Panther problem:
Black Panther
One of the major developments in the MCU is the death of Chadwick Boseman. The actor’s performance in the titular managed to give it an interesting take that was appreciated worldwide. It became quite clear that no one can replace Boseman as Black Panther. This has made fans wonder about what we will get to see in the upcoming sequel to Black Panther. Rumours went out that there is a chance the Killmonger might have survived and he might take the mantle. But the most popular theory yet is that Shuri will take on the mantle following her brother’s death.
When Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige was asked about this, he stated,
So much of the comics and that first movie is the world of Wakanda. Wakanda is a place to further explore with characters and different subcultures. This was always and initially the primary focus of the next story. We’re not going to have a CG Chadwick and we’re not recasting T’Challa. Ryan Coogler is working very hard right now on the script with all the respect and love and genius that he has, which gives us great solace, so it was always about furthering the mythology and the inspiration of Wakanda. There’s also the task of honoring and respecting the ongoing learnings and teachings from Chad as well.
The Heart-Shaped Herb
Fans might remember the heart-shaped herb that played an essential role when T’Challa took on the mantle of Black Panther. Later, Eric Killmonger ended up ordering the destruction of the rest of the crops to be burnt. This was in order to make sure that nobody else managed to get the power of the Black Panther. But this wasn’t actually the end of this herb and something is cooking in Wakanda. The MCU tie-in book, “The Wakanda Files” has revealed that Shuri has been working on her own synthetic version of the herb but she is stuck somewhere.
There is an interesting arc behind how this herb works with the new leader. If a challenger is proven victorious he/she is allowed to consume the sacred herb. This herb actually paves the way for a connection between Bast and the Black Panther. It was indicated in Avengers #33 that the powers of Black Panther are bestowed upon him by Bast using the herb’s connection. This connection could be easily broken by her if she deems that the champion doesn’t deem worthy of the powers.
Bast
Bast is quite an essential character when it comes to the history of Wakanda. She is the chief deity of Wakanda and she helps guide the dead to a green veld where they can run forever. Bast was actually shown in Black Panther in a narrative told to a child. This actually confirms the existence of the Wakandan Ancestral Plane. There is not much of an indication of the character in the MCU except for the occasional name drops. But the character could be brought into the narrative in the upcoming sequel.
Bast and Khonshu
In Moon Knight, we saw that Khonshu goes into a war against Ammit. The god of the moon uses Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector as an Avatar and bestows him with some supernatural powers. Bast is directly related to Khonshu as both are Egyptian gods. These connections have varied but the latest indicates that Khonshu is the half-brother of Bast. This could indicate that the goddess could be able to make a mortal her Avatar too and make them the Black Panther.
This is not the first time that such an idea has been brought as we got to see this in Marvel Comics. Bast managed to attach herself to a child but this was quite different in comparison to Khonshu and Marc Spector. She clearly dominated her Avatar and it would cause some damage to her host. This narrative could be brought into the MCU in order to find the next candidate for the mantle of Black Panther. Instead of using the herb, she could be working on selecting her candidate and making for her Avatar without taking over the person. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released in theatres worldwide on November 11.
Can Moon Knight solve the Black Panther problem, what are your views on it? do let us know down in the comments.
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