The Only Black Panther Recap You Need Before Avengers: Doomsday

With "Avengers: Doomsday," the major players of Wakanda are once again taking the spotlight in a large gathering of heroes — including Shuri (Letitia Wright), the current wearer of the Black Panther mantle. Black Panther has had one of the most complex histories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Looper's video above offers a great recap on the characters who have held the title. 

The original MCU Black Panther, T'Challa, was famously played by Chadwick Boseman. He appeared in a number of projects, most famously his 2018 Ryan Coogler-directed solo movie. "Black Panther" blew everyone away at the box office, cementing Boseman as one of the prime players of the vast megafranchise. Unfortunately, real-life tragedy struck in 2020, when Boseman died at 43 after privately dealing with colon cancer for years. As MCU fans would soon discover, Boseman's untimely passing didn't mark the end of Black Panther — but the superhero's on-screen storyline became extremely convoluted. 

From a narrative standpoint, Black Panther has always differed from other superheroes like Spider-Man. This is because the title has been passed along from person to person. In the MCU, the tradition has been that a high-ranking young member of the Wakandan royal family wears the costume and takes the power-granting heart-shaped herb. To date, MCU live-action projects have featured a few major Black Panthers: T'Challa and Shuri's father T'Chaka (John Kani), T'Challa himself, and Shuri. There's also N'Jadaka (Michael B. Jordan), better known as Erik "Killmonger" Stevens, who briefly gained the position during the events of "Black Panther."

With current incumbent Shuri taking over as Black Panther in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," the Wakandan champion's presence in the MCU remains intact. However, there are already plans for her successor. 2028's "Black Panther 3" will see David Jonsson play T'Challa — who, in all likelihood, is the secret son of the original T'Challa and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) introduced at the end of "Wakanda Forever." Though real tragedy has impacted Black Panther's path in the MCU, the story is far from finished, and Looper's video above will get you up to date about the events so far.