Marvel fans online are rushing to Shuri's defense after a tweet from Matt Ramos discussing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever goes viral.
Ramos, also known by his social media handle as @therealsupes, tweeted about what he would like to see from the upcoming Black Panther sequel if Shuri (Letitia Wright) were to take on the mantle of the Wakandan superhero from her older brother, T'Challa (previously played in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the late Chadwick Boseman). Ramos' tweet reads, "If Shuri does become the new Black Panther, I hope she goes through training throughout the movie. Even then it’d be a little convenient if she just takes the heart shaped herb & whoops Namor when he’s been a warrior his whole life."
As of writing, the tweet has garnered nearly 800 comments and over 1,300 quote tweets. While some appear to agree with Ramos' opinion, many others are arguing against it, believing that Shuri does not need to undergo visible training in the movie and is more than capable of taking on newcomer antagonist Namor (Tenoch Huerta) after fighting in battles against Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) in Black Panther (2018) and Thanos in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Some of Shuri's defenders have labeled Ramos' take as a double standard against women in the MCU, pointing out male superheroes that have appeared in the franchise without having to display training with their powers and/or abilities.
Some commenters have pointed to T'Challa as an example of why Shuri does not need to undergo training in the movie. Mentioned by Ramos' tweet, in the MCU, the power of the Black Panther is granted by Wakanda's Heart-Shaped Herb, which provides superhuman abilities like enhanced strength and speed, as well as a connection to the Wakandan Ancestral Plane. T'Challa's abilities were granted by the herb, though he is not seen training to hone his abilities in either Black Panther or his prior MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War (2016).
Boseman's passing led to the plan for Wakanda Forever shifting to include T'Challa's death, confirmed by an official synopsis for the film. The official first trailer for the sequel was released during Marvel's Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, which gives Marvel fans a brief glimpse at the claws and lower half of a new Black Panther. Many are now speculating who the new hero could be, with guesses including Shuri, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), M'Baku (Winston Duke) and even a resurrected Killmonger.
Fans may have to wait until the film releases on Nov. 11, 2022 to find out who now dons the Vibranium super suit. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be the final entry in Phase 4 of the MCU, with Phase 5 beginning with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in Feb. 2023.
Source: Twitter