Four and a half years after the release of the first one, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has topped box offices and garnered critical acclaim to the level of which Marvel has never seen the likes of before. Fans have waited anxiously for years to see how Marvel would continue the superhero’s story after the unexpected passing of Chadwick Boseman, the man who wore the suit first, and the movie made sure to honor his legacy throughout the movie while progressing the storyline. Which leads viewers to witness the passing of the mantle to Shuri, King T’Challa’s younger and insanely intelligent sister. 

Events leading up to her inevitable fate as the next Black Panther for Wakanda show the change and growth of her character, the innocent and playful princess turning into a young woman wracked with grief and bottled anger within her. A pivotal moment in the movie is when Shuri is able to replicate the extinct heart-shaped herb with her cutting-edge technology for her to take and assume the role of the next Black Panther. However, while she expected to be reunited with a loved one who would guide her, Shuri is greeted by a past villain, her cousin Erik Killmonger. One question remains with his unexpected appearance: Why him?

Events Leading to Shuri in the Ancestral Plane

Shuri’s desperate attempts to broker a sort of “peace treaty” between her nation and Namor’s nation led to unfortunate consequences, with the Talokanil (Namor’s people) to infiltrate and ambush Wakanda. It led to havoc and chaos, but most importantly, it led to the death of Wakanda’s queen, Queen Ramonda. Another funeral later, Shuri is feeling more alone than ever, the grief seemingly never-ending for her. The only way to protect Wakanda and her people was to become the Black Panther. Becoming the superhero was the last solution to Shuri, which contrasted with T’Challa’s state of mind when he drank the heart-shaped herb and became the Black Panther. Many viewers assumed that Queen Ramonda would be the one to meet Shuri in the ancestral plane and that the daughter and mother would get one last chance to say goodbye. When Killmonger showed up instead seated on the throne, it shocked everyone, including Shuri herself.