Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is highly anticipated by many to see how it moves beyond insurmountable narrative odds, namely the passing of Chadwick Boseman and his character T'Challa. But just as many are excited to see who's going to be in the movie that hasn't been announced yet, one such face could be a fan-favorite villain known for vexing a certain Webslinger. The Norman Osborn of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet to make his debut, leaving a void in both Spidey's rogues' gallery and the shared universe. He could just be biding his time, however, hiding and manipulating other forces. Such may be the case for the second Black Panther film, where Norman is possibly the true antagonist.
Someone Is Pulling the Strings in Black Panther 2
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the central conflict is a war between the isolated nation of Wakanda and Talocan. The movie sounds very similar to the plot of Captain America: Civil War, wherein Cap protected his former friend Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier against fellow former ally Tony Stark/Iron Man. But if there's a man behind the curtains manipulating the war, it's even more like that movie and the DC Extended Universe film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
After all, despite how hotheaded Namor is in the comics, going to war with Wakanda seems like a bit much. It's likely that someone in Wakanda supposedly did something to earn Atlantis' ire or was even framed for seemingly doing so. That backs up the idea that someone else is moving behind the scenes to make these two nations fight each other to the death, and that person might be the MCU's version of Norman.
How Black Panther 2 Could Introduce Norman Osborn to the MCU
Norman could show up toward the climax of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, revealing that he was the one behind the conflict. A more secretive and less open Norman would make sense since the version from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies couldn't find any trace of his MCU equivalent during the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. One reason Norman would be in the film is that he intends to weaken Wakanda, stealing its vibranium to enrich himself and his new company, Oscorp. Of course, this theory has its problem, many of which stem from the previously mentioned movies.
That would make Norman Osborn, one of Marvel's most iconic villains, into essentially a retread of Zemo in Civil War. The MCU has already been criticized for making Spider-Man, Marvel's top character, into Iron Man, Jr., so doing something similar with his biggest foe would likely elicit a similar response. On top of that, no one in the MCU besides Spider-Man himself would know how important and potentially dangerous Norman is. Thus, Black Panther 2 would break its own narrative by expecting audiences to already understand this aspect of the character.
At the same time, putting Norman in Wakanda Forever would make a lot of sense from an optics standpoint. The film is easily the most highly anticipated Phase 4 movie outside of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness. Thus, using the movie as a vehicle for Norman's introduction would make a lot of sense, as it would be the biggest spotlight for the character in the phase's remaining time span. It would also be more fitting that Norman, the arch-enemy of Marvel's mascot, would be the one pulling the strings as opposed to Doctor Doom. While most fans eagerly anticipate the Fantastic Four and Doom's introduction, they aren't nearly as big of a property as Spider-Man. Add in the fact that using Osborn instead of Doom would subvert fan expectations, and the Green Goblin and his bag of tricks would be perfect as the power behind the proverbial throne in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
To see if anyone is pulling the strings, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters Nov. 11.