Black Panther 2 Actor Drops Hints Of What To Expect For M'Baku And The Jabari
It's fair to say that most Marvel fans were concerned about "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" after the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020. But after the teaser for the sequel dazzled at San Diego Comic-Con, the excitement has ramped up a notch. The teaser shows Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), Shuri (Letitia Wright), and Ramonda (Angela Bassett) mourning T'Challa's death — although it's not clear yet how Marvel is writing out the Wakandan king. Unfortunately, while grieving the legendary warrior, the country then has to face a growing war with Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and the forces of Atlantis.
Namor's arrival was teased in "Iron Man 2," where a SHIELD map highlights a spot in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between South America and Africa. But Marvel Studios is taking a different approach with the aquatic hero since he's going to be inspired by Aztec and Mayan culture (via ComicBook.com). "It's an honor," Huerta explained. "I come from the hood, and thanks to inclusion, I am here. I wouldn't be here without inclusion. A lot of kids are there in their hood looking at us, dreaming to be here, and they're gonna make it."
But just because T'Challa is gone doesn't mean the country is defenseless from Namor's army. Not only does Wakanda have Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje, but the Jabari tribe and the vicious M'Baku (Winston Duke) are also back again in "Wakanda Forever," after the Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) incident brought the isolated Wakandans together with the rest of the country.
Winston Duke says M'Baku has a lot to figure out
Winston Duke recently opened up to Screen Rant about how M'Baku and the Jabari tribe have changed in the aftermath of "Black Panther," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Avengers: Endgame," explaining that they're a much bigger part of Wakandan society now.
"I think the events of 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame' really showed that the Jabari are now full-fledged members of Wakanda. M'Baku was a part of every single conflict; every event, and I don't think they could really exist in isolation anymore. They have open borders, and we saw that M'Baku was really Wakandan. His entire community has expanded."
Clearly, the devastation caused by the Snap has brought Wakandans together rather than kept them apart, so it'll be interesting to see how M'Baku's new dynamic works with the rest of the country. Duke also noted that the leader still has a lot to figure out when it comes to cooperating with the rest of the tribes, saying, "Now we get to see how he figures out a brand-new world for Wakanda. ... Much like us, he's going through a lot of the same things and figuring out how to move forward. This movie really deals and dives into that a lot."
It sounds like M'Baku has a new position in life that he has to adjust to when "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" arrives in theaters on November 11.