Black Panther 2 and Captain Marvel 2 Get Official Titles

Black Panther 2 and Captain Marvel 2 now have their official titles — Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Marvels, respectively. “Wakanda Forever” is a salute that was popularised by the first movie and has since entered the lexicon, being used by those of African origin especially to honour Black power. And it makes sense to call it The Marvels since it will feature more than one superhero with that alter ego: there’s Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/ Captain Marvel, and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/ Ms. Marvel, set to be introduced in her own Disney+ series in 2021.

The new titles for Black Panther 2 and Captain Marvel 2 were announced Monday as part of a montage titled “Marvel Studios Celebrates the Movies” that showcased the Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while championing the Hollywood push for a return to the big screen as life returns to a state of normalcy in the US following COVID-19 vaccinations. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Marvels came with new title cards — the latter features the Ms. Marvel logo embedded in it — and confirmed their respective July and November 2022 release dates.

Ryan Coogler returns as writer and director on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which has been reimagined in the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s death last year. Boseman’s role as T’Challa/ Black Panther will not be recast, though it does leave the mantle open for a new claimant. Letitia Wright’s Shuri, sister to T’Challa, has been floated as the potential next Black Panther. Wouldn’t it be Black Pantheress then? The title suggests otherwise — or maybe Marvel doesn’t wish to spoil anything.

As for The Marvels, Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) is the new director on the Captain Marvel sequel that has been written by Megan McDonnell (WandaVision). In addition to Larson’s Danvers and Vellani’s Khan, The Marvels also stars WandaVision’s Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, who you’ll recall herself gaining superpowers during the course of the MCU Disney+ series. In the comics, Monica has also gone by the Captain Marvel name. She is naturally part of “The Marvels”, but maybe there’s more to it than we know.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is slated for July 8, 2022 in cinemas worldwide. The Marvels will follow on November 11, 2022. Filming on The Marvels begins later in May in London, Los Angeles, and New Jersey. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever enters production in June/ July in Georgia and Australia.