Black Panther Wakanda Forever: Shuri and Okoye’s first looks revealed; fans have mixed reactions

After being in production for years, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will release in a matter of months. There is much curiosity around the second film, especially since the tragic passing of lead actor Chadwick Boseman  in 2020 as viewers have been wondering how Marvel would carry the legacy forward. While the trailer is yet to arrive, the first two photos of key characters seems to have arrived, via packaging for a soft drink brand. The packaging gives a first look at Black Panther’s sister Shuri, played by Letitia Wright and loyal guard, Okoye (Danai Gurira).

In the photos, Shuri is clad in a purple suit and with a new haircut, while Okoye sticks to her original appearances that she has made in the last three Marvel films. However, fans have mixed reactions to the photos, with some missing Chadwick Boseman and agreeing that no one could fill his shoes. Others were not sure about Shuri taking this forward and didn’t like her haircut.

First footage from the upcoming MCU movie was screened at CinemaCon.  As per news reports, the footage showed Shuri (Letitia Wright), Nakia ( Lupita Nyong’o’) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) leading the forces of Wakanda against an unknown enemy. There are rumours suggesting that Namor, Marvel’s equivalent to Aquaman, may be the big villain of the movie, and it may be that Wakanda is fighting the forces of Atlantis.

“It’s an incredible honor for Chadwick Boseman,” Letitia Wright said of the film in a recent interview with Variety. “It’s jam packed with exciting stuff. November, it couldn’t come sooner so I’m excited for you guys to see it. We honored him by committing ourselves to the story that he started, the legacy he started with this franchise, and we committed every day to working hard, no matter what circumstances we faced. And we faced a lot of circumstances. A lot of difficult situations, but we came together as a team. We poured everything into this movie.”

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will see the return of Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Angela Bassett as Ramonda and Martin Freeman as Everett Ross. The film is expected to release in November this year.