So, How's Marvel's New Black Panther Going To Work?

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, T'Challa passed away in the wake of the death of the man who played him, Chadwick Boseman. The powers that be have resisted recasting the role ever since, preferring to feature his sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), as the new Black Panther, but now it's possible that a new T'Challa might take part in "Avengers: Doomsday." Want to find out why we think there might be a new king of Wakanda on the horizon? Check out the video above to learn more.

Rumors began to fly about a Black Panther recast when Mushk Rizvi, a senior concept and visual development artist for Marvel Studios, posted some preproduction art for "Avengers: Doomsday" to her ArtStation account. The images were swiftly deleted, but have been preserved. One picture sees Black Panther wearing his familiar costume while staring out into the distance — and the character doesn't sport Boseman's facial features. Rizvi has worked with Marvel for a long time, so this adds a layer of credibility to the notion that her work is a genuine preview of what's to come. 

Interestingly, Rizvi's Black Panther looks a lot like actor Damson Idris of "F1" and "Snowfall," who was notably evasive when confronted by the rumor that he's in line for the throne of Wakanda during an appearance on "The Today Show" in 2025. Idris replied to a "yes or no" question about whether or not he'd been approached about becoming the next Black Panther by saying "yes-no." As noted by interviewer Craig Melvin, that sounds an awful lot like a confirmation, but nothing's set in stone yet.

How would the MCU explain away a brand-new T'Challa? That's where the multiverse comes in. It's easy enough to import a new version of the character from a different Earth and continue to respect the legacy of Chadwick Boseman by keeping his version of the character dead. If "Avengers: Doomsday" introduces a new Black Panther this way, it wouldn't be the first time it's monkeyed around with the multiverse.

One infamous example of this is how the fates of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) were changed in "Avengers: Endgame." Cap and Peggy's already-strange relationship is originally lost to the vagaries of time. After a long, star-crossed separation they reunite, only to be parted by Peggy's death. Eventually, and in spite of Steve's attempt at establishing himself in the modern world, he chooses to reinvent himself in the wake of the Snap. After returning the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir to their proper places, Steve goes back to the 1940s and marries Peggy. Years later, he cedes the moniker of Captain America to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). 

Whether Steve creates an alternate universe to do this or stays within the main MCU timeline is debated even by "Endgame" directors the Russo brothers and the writers of the film. But all of this is proof that T'Challa's tale could be continued thanks to similar timeline trickery. He might have different experiences under his belt, but he would still be a version of the lost king we all know and love. Want to know more about the possible new Black Panther on the block? Click on Looper's video above.