Two of Black Panther's most iconic villains were killed in one fell swoop in 2018 with another being made into an anti-hero and an ally. As such, there's a lot of debate on where the next film should go in terms of villainous foes for the Panther to face.
He has some obscure rogues as his gallery isn't quite as extensive as Spider-Man or Batman's. Nonetheless, there are some stellar choices that Marvel Studios could make when delving into the sequel. With that in mind, here are five villains that we want in Black Panther 2 and five that we don't.
10 Want: M'Baku
M'Baku may have been an ally to T'Challa in Black Panther, but Avengers: Infinity War created the perfect means for turning him into a 'villain' for our protagonist. Both T'Challa and Shuri were killed by Thanos' Decimation and, as such, that left a void in Wakanda. M'Baku likely took the throne following this carnage as we saw him survive in Avengers: Infinity War.
Would M'Baku willingly give up the throne to a ghost re-appearing from the dead after five years of ruling? That's longer than T'Challa had ruled before the snap. As such, it's unlikely that M'Baku will give up his seat, and we may see a Wakandan Game of Thrones stem from this political conflict.
9 Don't Want: White Wolf
White Wolf is an incredibly interesting villain and he would be a great contender to fight T'Challa, but it seems as though Marvel Studios have no intention to delve further into the character as they gave Bucky the alias during his tenure in Wakandan care. This seems to hint that Ryan Coogler has no intention to use the White Wolf.
There are plenty of other options for Black Panther 2, so this is understandable. If Coogler knew he wasn't ever going to use White Wolf, at least giving fans a name drop to show recognition is something, even if it is a little unsatisfying. Going back on that and introducing a 'real' White Wolf who is a villain would be somewhat jarring following this reveal.
8 Want: Doctor Doom
Marvel now owns the Fox properties, meaning that they have access to both the X-Men and Fantastic Four. With that in mind, we can finally see Latveria appear in the MCU with Doctor Doom as its leader. Where this nation will fit is unknown - could it have existed all along like Wakanda, or could it spawn from the ruins of another country such as Sokovia?
It remains to be seen, but if Doctor Doom does debut, it should be in Black Panther 2. Rather than being an outright villain right off the bat, they could build up the tension between their countries that would ultimately lead to a major conflict in the third film. There's another villain that could be included in this war of nations - Namor.
7 Don't Want: American Panther & Hate-Monger
American Panther is, simply put, a racist. His father was murdered by his mother's lover, and the killer was a foreigner who, under their court, wasn't punished. As such, the American Panther, whose name is unknown, developed a hatred for outsiders. He executed the man behind his father's death before joining the NYPD.
Hate-Monger used this against him, manipulating the American Panther into becoming his champion to take down the Black Panther's watchful guise and protection over Hell's Kitchen. The problem is that T'Challa, in the films, does not need to watch over this slice of New York, so it would be difficult to bring these two villains into the sequel.
6 Want: Namor
As mentioned earlier, Namor, the Sub-Mariner, the King of Atlantis, would be a perfect candidate for a villain in the next couple of Black Panther films. Whilst an all-out war would be a little bit too much for a second film, introducing him and building up tension would be a great idea for leading into a clash of titans in the finale to the trilogy.
In the comics, Namor has flooded Wakanda before, which was a pivotal moment that built up a strong hatred between him and T'Challa. Namor isn't exactly a 'villain', as he was on the Illuminati council, working with Black Panther, albeit whilst the two were at each other's throats. Having a morally questionable character would be refreshing for the MCU.
5 Don't Want: Barricade / The Supremacists
The B on this brute's chest doesn't stand for beefcake, unfortunately. It stands for Barricade and this big boy of a villain is a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who tried to kidnap none other than Captain America. He, along with White Avenger, Captain Blaze, Harrier, Hungyr and Voortrekker all acted on behalf of the white African nation of Azania against the black inhabitants.
T'Challa's panther spirit detached from him and murdered those who supported the Azania regime and, from this conflict, the Supremacists were sent to take down the Black Panther. This story could be modernized and made to work but ultimately, it would take the supreme side of Killmonger and apply it to a spirit that would frame T'Challa, making for a somewhat convoluted and repetitive narrative.
4 Want: Achebe
Achebe is often regarded as Black Panther's very own Joker. He was a farmer living in Ghudaza until one day, the rebels came and burned down his farm, stabbing him 32 times, and taking his wife who fell for them. In his desperation and insane hatred, he made a deal with Mephisto. Following his survival, he hunted down anyone who was in league with his wife or the rebels.
What was truly terrifying about his vendetta was that he would do unto them as they had done unto him - he would stab his victims 32 times before burning down their land. Through Achebe, the MCU could try their hands at the horror genre, much like Doctor Strange 2 claims to be.
3 Don't Want: Klaue
Klaue died in Black Panther and fans have been staggering to come up with ways to bring back the sorely wasted Andy Serkis, who debuted in the MCU through Avengers: Age of Ultron. The leading idea is that he could manifest as sound itself as he did in the comics.
However, the superhero trope of bringing back the dead rather than leaving them buried so that the world may move on is a tired one. Bringing characters back to life devalues death and lessens the impact of subsequent downfalls. If Yondu came back, would you trust any further demises in the Guardians of the Galaxy series?
2 Want: Kraven the Hunter
Kraven nearly appeared in Black Panther, but Sony didn't want to play ball as they are making their own film. Dimitri, who is likely Chameleon, was introduced in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and the two are intrinsically connected characters. As such, it's likely that Kraven is somewhere out there in the MCU.
Even if he isn't the main villain of the film, which is likely, Kraven being introduced in Black Panther 2 as a side-character, in a post-credits scene or through a cameo, would be a stellar way to hype up Sony's film and any subsequent appearances that he may have in Spider-Man's multi-film series.
1 Don't Want: Malice
Finally, a villain that many fans have been asking for. Lupita Nyong'o plays Nakia in Black Panther and she is T'Challa's love interest. In the comics, she becomes a bitter ex who develops a strong vendetta which ultimately leads to her becoming a supervillain that targets T'Challa.
Following the staggeringly motivational, powerful and emotive reasonings behind Killmonger's actions in the first film, a bitter and jealous ex-girlfriend would be a somewhat poor choice and a severe downgrade. Lupita has the acting chops, as she proved in 2019's Us, and so seeing her as a villain again would be stellar, but this isn't the film for it.