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T’Challa’s Black Panther was notably missing his genius-level scientific intellect, but Wakanda Forever takes steps to fix that mistake.
In addition to serving as the bookend for phase 4 of the MCU, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever successfully corrects one notable downfall of the first Black Panther project. While fans and critics lauded the original film for its beautiful portrayal of Wakanda and its engagement with real-world themes of oppression and retaliation, Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa lacked one of his historically defining traits: his scientific intellect. This characterization stood in stark contrast with Black Panther’s established scientific and technological prowess in the comics.
In the Marvel Comics canon, T’Challa is known for having scientific intellect on par with other famed scientists like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. However, Black Panther and Wakanda Forever clearly present Shuri as the sibling more gifted in science and technology. Now, Wakanda Forever has acknowledged that Shuri gained her love of science from her brother. Furthermore, the new Black Panther is poised to play a very different role than her predecessor when Shuri’s Black Panther returns in future MCU projects that will allow her to be a technological asset to Earth.
Wakanda Forever Improves The MCU’s Black Panther
While some felt that recasting Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa would honor the late actor, the decision ultimately made by Ryan Coogler to pass the Black Panther mantle to Shuri in Wakanda Forever allows the hero to embody a role of intellectual leadership in addition to leadership through politics and military strength. If Shuri’s Black Panther becomes an Avenger, she will provide invaluable resources and expertise along with the other scientists already associated with the team. With Stark Industries’ relationship with the Avengers after Tony’s death uncertain, Shuri can now provide the team with the tech and insight that Tony once did.
Wakanda Forever also improves the Black Panther character by stressing that it’s more than just a person; it’s an idea. While T’Challa struggles to accept his role as king after his father’s death, he becomes Black Panther fairly seamlessly. In contrast, Shuri and Ramonda’s debate about the necessity of Black Panther existing and Shuri’s eventual acceptance emphasize that, to Wakandans, Black Panther is a timeless symbol of strength and pride that’s bigger than who’s under the mask. It’s also important to audiences, as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reaffirms the MCU’s future can work with legacy heroes and titles.
Why Wasn’t T’Challa As Scientifically Impressive As Shuri?
Audiences know that a younger T’Challa had a passion for science, as Shuri claims that she learned her love of science from her brother. However, the reason T’Challa isn’t shown as having particularly impressive scientific intellect in the MCU is likely that he had to prioritize his focus as he grew up. There’s precedence for this struggle, too, as Tony Stark had to make similar sacrifices. After becoming Iron Man, Tony couldn’t continue to balance heroics, scientific experimentation, and corporate leadership. Stark chose to give up control of his company by naming Pepper Potts CEO; T’Challa clearly made a different choice, dedicating himself to his future role as King of Wakanda and training to uphold the mantle of the Black Panther. Wakanda Forever further supports the impossibility of doing everything as Shuri seemingly gives the role of king of Wakanda to Winston Duke’s M’Baku to better fulfill her role as the Black Panther and one of Earth’s leading scientists.
Of course, it’s also possible that Black Panther downplayed T’Challa’s scientific expertise in the MCU for more meta reasons. While the massive scale of Marvel Comics makes it more reasonable for there to be several scientists with genius-level intellect, the MCU’s more limited roster may have simply felt too overstuffed with scientists had Black Panther presented both T’Challa and Shuri as similarly brilliant alongside smart MCU characters like Hank Pym, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Jane Foster. Letting Shuri focus on science and T’Challa on leadership makes for a more diverse cast of characters, and now, with some former franchise mainstays gone, there’s room for the Black Panther to be an intellectual leader beyond Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Whatever the reason for the initial change to T’Challa, MCU fans now have two great but different Black Panther performances to appreciate, each leaving a unique mark on the character.
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