A new image from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever shows off an impressive new costume for M'Baku, played again by Winston Duke.
Courtesy of Empire, the image sees M'Baku standing in a rather imposing way while wearing his new attire, which consists of such elements as an animalistic face on the chest plate and braids on the skirt. Prior to this, the design for the suit of the movie's enigmatic new Black Panther had been revealed via Funko Pop!, which looks similar to the face paint pattern on Shuri.
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Outside of his character getting a new look, Duke previously discussed how surviving the Blip in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War changed M'Baku. "I think M'Baku is forced to catch up with the times," Duke said. "His role has changed. He survived The Snap, he is now a part of the Tribal Council so he's more forward-facing and less insular. So he's been forced to really be a part of the collective transparency. I think that's a really cool thing for him and you get to see a whole new dynamic including him." Tying into this, Duke also teased in July that M'Baku would have a larger role in Wakanda Forever.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Won't Be Like the First Movie
Additionally, Duke told fans to forego any expectations about Wakanda Forever, saying the film will stand on its own rather than try to recapture the magic of the first Black Panther movie. "This narrative has evolved, and it's changed, just like all the characters and the circumstances of Wakanda itself," he added. "For me in particular, I just had to let go of the expectation of this being anything like the first movie and allow this movie to be its own thing."
As for his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Duke discussed what he would like to see in a potential spinoff focused on M'Baku, stating that it would be great to explore the character's home of the Jabari-Lands, which he described as "a rich space of culture within Wakanda." That being said, he did acknowledge that this was just wishful thinking, concluding, "I like the idea of what M'Baku would be like, out in the world. That would be pretty cool because he's not a character that we usually see exploring. I think his type of code of honor would be pretty cool to see interact with so many other things."
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on Nov. 11.
Source: Empire