BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER Star [SPOILER] Reveals Who Is Now Ruler Of Wakanda

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER Star [SPOILER] Reveals Who Is Now Ruler Of Wakanda

One of the stars of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has revealed who the nation's new ruler is, while also sharing their thoughts on Shuri inheriting the mantle of Black Panther from T'Challa. Check it out!

News
By JoshWilding - Nov 18, 2022 09:11 AM EST
Source: Esquire

In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's closing moments, Winston Duke's M'Baku arrives at Warrior Falls to challenge for Wakanda's throne. Shuri wasn't there to greet him, and it was clear, although never directly stated, that she had decided to abdicate the throne to him despite the fact she now holds the Black Panther mantle. 

Talking to Esquire, Duke confirmed M'Baku is now Wakanda's new King, following in the footsteps of T'Chaka, T'Challa, Erik Killmonger, and Queen Ramonda.

"Yeah, it’s kind of cool to be revealed as the King of Wakanda at the end of the movie," the actor said. "That’s huge. So whatever that entails, it’s gonna be a fun one."

"You know, I love the support that I've gotten from the fans," he added when asked about not being chosen as the next Black Panther. "I think the strength of Black Panther has always been the ensemble. It's always been [that] Black Panther [has] had to lean on everyone around him. Whether M'Baku's the next anything, it's still gonna be a great ensemble piece."

After saying he would love to see the franchise continue with "a third, fourth, fifth, [and] sixth film," Duke also shared his reaction to Letitia Wright's Shuri inheriting the mantle from Chadwick Boseman and T'Challa. "She is the new Black Panther, rightfully so," he started. "It follows the story of the comic books."

"[It] makes a lot of sense that, you know, it stays within the Panther Tribe and family. She does an incredible job as the new Black Panther."

While it's clear M'Baku has a bright future in the MCU, could we see the character take centre stage in his own spin-off? It would make perfect sense, and after he had a smaller role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fans are keen to see more of the scene-stealing new King of Wakanda. 

"I'd love to see a spin-off for M'Baku," Duke confirmed. "I said it before, and I'll say it again. The Jabari culture is so rich, there's so much. They are an entity onto themselves in the mountains. And, in the process, we did a lot of work."

We'll see what the future holds in store, but can't wait for M'Baku to step back into the spotlight. As Wakanda's King, something tells us he'll have a much bigger role in Black Panther 3.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters.

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manofillintent1
manofillintent1 - 11/18/2022, 9:10 AM
Some good sh*t
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 11/18/2022, 9:18 AM
@manofillintent1 -

willyburz
willyburz - 11/18/2022, 11:24 AM
@manofillintent1 - One of the best character entrance and build up songs ever done in a movie! AMAZING, straight Goosebumps, and ready to smash through a wall!! That slow burn to synth bass. Glorious
GhostDog
GhostDog - 11/18/2022, 9:12 AM


JstaKIDfrmBKLYN
JstaKIDfrmBKLYN - 11/18/2022, 9:13 AM
I was more under the impression that he was challenging for the mantle of King, not actually King yet.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 11/18/2022, 9:14 AM
The whole trial by combat for the throne challenge is so inconsistent and plot dependent. T'Challa was already the Black Panther in Civil War and then he had to undergo the challenge in his solo movie and Shuri was the same way. It seems like they just became Black Panther when they wanted without adhering to the rules for succession that their own movies establish.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 11/18/2022, 9:23 AM
@soberchimera - I think the trial by combat benefits the royal family always. They’re always the heir to the mantle and throne before anyone else.

You can read the situation a few ways. T’Chaka seemed to bestow the Panther duties to T’Challa because it was his son, he was king, and T’Challa was the heir; privilege of being royal blood. Or T’Challa earned the mantle at warrior falls off screen prior to civil war and was only later challenged by M’Baku after his father’s death because he would now be king as well. Correct me if I am mistaken, but whomever wins becomes king and black Panther.

T’Chaka was still king when T’Challa was BP around CW time. Technically there was no true challenge to be had because a king was still in power and it was not a period of an exchange of power; as it soon would be once T’Chaka died. It can definitely be a little shaky I agree with you.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 11/18/2022, 9:28 AM
@GhostDog - Correct me if I am mistaken, but whomever wins becomes king and black Panther.
Exactly, if T'Chaka was still king, he should've been the Black Panther at the time, when he was killed in Civil War, T'Challa should've flown to Warrior Falls to fight for the right to become the next king/Black Panther, according to the logic established in the Black Panther movie. So unless he quickly flew to Wakanda and had no challengers for the throne, he could've taken the heart-shaped herb and flown back, but Civil War makes it seem he's been Black Panther for some time.
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 11/18/2022, 9:39 AM
@soberchimera - civil war established they’re separate things, so like ghost dog said T’Chaka as king had his son become black panther

Then when he returned he did the official ceremony to become king through the challenge. Pretty much the king designates who takes the herb and they usually pick themselves as part of tradition
soberchimera
soberchimera - 11/18/2022, 9:44 AM
@ShimmyShimmyYA - civil war established they’re separate things
Once again, the Black Panther movie contradicts this by asserting that they're one in the same.

Pretty much the king designates who takes the herb
That's never established in either film, what is established is that the Black Panther IS the king of Wakanda. It's just a simple inconsistency between the two films, doesn't make them bad.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 11/18/2022, 9:51 AM
@soberchimera - Yea I think he definitely was Panther for some time. Seemed like in his old age T’Chaka chose to retire and give up the mantle.

I’d chalk these events up to royal privilege and T’Chaka bending tradition as he sees fit. If you need to add some logic to it outside of the obvious creative transition having inconsistency. Also, T’Chaka is a bender of rules and a hypocrite given how he handled his brother.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 11/18/2022, 9:57 AM
@GhostDog - I really think it's just a matter of different writing teams for both films not communicating with each other. And this inconsistency could have easily been resolved with a throwaway line like - "my father appointed me the Black Panther in secret" and M'Baku could have made a big show about him becoming the Black Panther without going through the proper channels, etc, etc. Also, let's not forget that Ramonda is the ruler of Wakanda in the sequel and she didn't have to go though any trial either.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 11/18/2022, 10:04 AM
@soberchimera - good point on Ramonda. They clearly didn’t know how to approach not having a Panther and you got the idea that the indecisiveness around it just lead to them having Ramonda take the throne for the time being
soberchimera
soberchimera - 11/18/2022, 10:05 AM
@GhostDog - Yeah, the rules of succession aren't very complicated, it's just very apparent they're not very strict about them haha.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 11/18/2022, 11:40 AM
@soberchimera - No, whoever wins can take the throne..There are NOT automatically Black Panther, that's a whole other process.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 11/18/2022, 11:45 AM
@Blastaar - Uhhhhhhh, what other process/trial did Killmonger have to go though to be allowed to take the heart-shaped herb? None. He won the trial by combat, therefore he could take the throne AND become the next Black Panther, they're one in the same.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 11/18/2022, 11:49 AM
@soberchimera - Keep in mind, not everyone can take the herb either. You saw how painful it is to take and extract it, if a person is not a descendant of the Royal line, then they might die from taking the herb because the herb would be toxic to their system because of the genetic coding in the herb.

This is why when people say "Well Killmonger didn't worship Bast and he became Black Panther"....Well first Killmonger IS of the Royal lineage, and he never became an official Black Panther, he took on the Golden Jaguar costume.

M'Baku wouldn't commit heresy by abandoning Hanuman for the Goddess Bast, which Bast ACTUALLY designates the Black Panther as well along with her other blessings, and Bast is automatically the Goddess and totem of the descendants of Bashenga(the first Black Panther). Each tribe has their own deity/totem.

So no, not everybody in Wakanda can be an OFFICIAL Black Panther. If you're from Scottland, you could be a Black Panther all you want, but you'd be an un-official Black Panther9for example). Like in reality, Shuri took on the mantle by default(Royal line) but she wasn't a fully blessed Black Panther, through Bast.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 11/18/2022, 11:53 AM
@Blastaar - I dunno, seems like anyone can take the heart-shaped herb hence the trial, maybe M'Baku would just become the White Gorilla since that's the deity he worships.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 11/18/2022, 11:53 AM
@soberchimera - No, the throne and the Black Panther are definitely not the same. Killmonger was of Royal lineage, therefore he had the right to become Black Panther...M'Baku is NOT of the Royal lineage, and he reveres Hanuman, not Bast...Narratively he'd NEVER become a Black Panther or else he'd be acting out of character, remember, M'Baku is serious about tradition. "Glory to Hanuman"...He didn't say "Glory to Bast".
Blastaar
Blastaar - 11/18/2022, 11:55 AM
@soberchimera - Yeah, but the Jabari have their own process of taking on the Powers of the Great White Ape/Gorilla...Not the heart shaped herb.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 11/18/2022, 11:57 AM
@soberchimera - Yes, exactly, M'baku has every right to challenge for the throne, and he'd rule as Man-Ape or whatever more appropriate name might be less problematic, or just M'Baku I guess.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 11/18/2022, 11:58 AM
@Blastaar - I dunno dude, sounds like a lot of conjecture on your part, I don't think any of that was established in the film. The deities, yes, the process for when someone from another tribe wins the trial, no. I think anyone can take the heart shaped herb and they'll just commune with whatever god or spirit they worship.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 11/18/2022, 12:28 PM
@soberchimera - Nope, it comes from years of reading Black Panther mythos, knowing what was established in the movies, and what would not work in the movies if they change it up TOO much to fit a narrative.

Certain things need to stay the same or else it'll create a domino effect of problems and diminish the importance of certain narratives/nuances that are VITAL.

For example having anybody/everybody be able to consume the heart shaped herb would be like anybody being able to successfully take Abraham Erskine's super soldier serum without side effects or dying, and we know that was not the case, look at what happened to Red Skull. And we know that would also diminish the uniqueness of HIS formula. All other serums were/are weak derivatives.

Bast created the herb, according Bashenga's DNA.
For Talocan, it maybe something totally different(of course this is a NEW thing, not in the comics)
soberchimera
soberchimera - 11/18/2022, 12:37 PM
@Blastaar - But Erskine's formula that he made for Steve Rogers was destroyed, had it not, anybody could have taken it. And we're talking about the logic that was established in the films, and from what I ascertained, anyone who wins the trial by combat can take the heart-shaped herb. Although I think in the comics, the trial by combat to determine who can become king was in Reginald Hudlin's, so that's a relatively recent addition to the mythos.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 11/18/2022, 1:10 PM
@soberchimera - Red Skull took Erskine's serum before it was all destroyed. It didn't work the same for him, although he gained some of the physical attributes, it disfigured him, and made him even more insane, it increases whatever the person is. So a narcissistic person would become worse, etc. A genuinely good person would become great, etc. because the serum not only affects the body but the mind of the recipient.

There was something "just right" and special about Steve Rogers genetically, not just his mind/heart.

Then the rest of his "original/genuine" serums were destroyed.
Only copies/attempts at making the same exact serum remained.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 11/18/2022, 1:16 PM
@Blastaar - The herb is tied to the Royal family line only.
newhire13
newhire13 - 11/18/2022, 1:31 PM
@soberchimera - Black Panther and King are 2 different things. You can serve as both or as King with a different BP. T’Challa’s father was BP and King and then T’Challa took on the mantle while he remained King. When he died T’Challa had to become King as well but had to do the tradition combat to make it official. Killmonger made a point to say that he challenges T’Challa for the throne and the mantle of Black Panther. You can be either or both.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 11/18/2022, 1:39 PM
@Blastaar - The version of the serum that Red Skull took was not the same as the one Steve Rogers took. From that same site:
In 1940, a prototype version of the serum was tested on Johann Schmidt, turning him into Red Skull in the process.[1] However, the formula wasn't ready for use at the time, and the serum's effects affected Schmidt's personality drastically.[3] Schmidt's transformation did not go as planned because his serum lacked radioactive exposure, causing the burning away of the skin and tissue surrounding his skull as well as leaving an unpleasant red scab on his nasal cavity. After Abraham Erskine escaped to the United States of America, he joined the Strategic Scientific Reserve and perfected the serum.

There is nothing in that article that says only the royal family can ingest the herb or that someone from another tribe will die if they take it.
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