Black Panther 2 is officially on the horizon, and these characters would make for some great villains.
The weekend has been full of Marvel Studios announcements. First, there was huge Disney Plus news, which revealed that we’re getting three new shows with highly anticipated Marvel Comics characters in Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel. Then, there was also news that Black Knight will be part of The Eternals movies. But maybe the biggest announcement revolved around Black Panther 2. We all knew it was coming, but now we have a date: May 6th, 2022.
The first Black Panther was a hit before the movie even debuted as it broke ticket presale records, with many finding it hard to get tickets for the weekend that the film opened. Unless you pre-ordered them, you’d have to wait until after the first few days.
Thus, it goes without saying that Black Panther 2 has created the same kind of anticipation. With that in mind, don’t be shocked if it breaks the presales record again.
While there are a number of factors that will make fans eager to see the sequel, one of the things that will undoubtedly draw them in is the antagonist.
Killmonger is looked at as one of the greatest villains in comic book history. Everything, from his swagger to his fighting skills, was incredible. Just like Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, Michael B. Jordan made such a lasting impression that all eyes will be carefully watching the next antagonist in the hopes that he or she lives up to their predecessor.
That said, it’s not impossible for them to be as good (if not better) than Killmonger, especially considering the possible villains that could be used.
6. Namor
Once upon a time, Namor was T’Challa’s ally. They planned on teaming up and making the world a better place. Unfortunately, Namor is always going to be Namor.
While he was possessed by the Phoenix Force (Avengers Vs. X-Men), he attacked Wakanda, destroyed part of their country, and killed an untold amount of innocent Wakandan citizens. T’Challa eventually got his revenge, stabbing Namor in the chest and getting Black Bolt to use his power to blast him off a high cliff (New Avengers by Jonathan Hickman). Moreover, in the recent Avengers comic book (written by Jason Aaron) Black Panther and the Avengers find themselves going up against Namor once again.
In Avengers: Endgame, Okoye mentioned an underwater earthquake she was monitoring. Every Marvel Comics fan immediately assumed this was Namor. Why else would this be put into the movie? As of now, there has been no news on whether or not the event was related to the renowned comic book villain. Nonetheless, it’s still fun to speculate.
Namor gives T’Challa (and everyone in Wakanda) a dangerous villain to fight. He has an army of his own and an extraordinary amount of physical strength. Namor is also entertaining; he’s narcissistic and funny in his own way. And together, they could eclipse what Killmonger and T’Challa did in the first Black Panther movie.
5. Nakia
You’re probably thinking, “Wait, what? Nakia’s a hero. How could she be the villain in this story?” Easy, she was a villain in the comic books.
In the Black Panther series, Nakia was raised and trained to be one of the Dora Milaje – warrior women whose job was to protect the ruler of Wakanda. Nakia grew attracted to T’Challa, and when the king was tricked into kissing her, this just heightened her feelings. This ends with T’Challa banning Nakia from Wakanda and sending her back to her home in shame. They fought multiple times after this.
Now, while this may have been a plot in the comics, it would obviously need some fine tuning in the movies. The idea of Nakia being obsessed with T’Challa to this level wouldn’t work, simply because it takes away from the person that we already know her to be in the MCU. Furthermore, the idea of a jealous woman fighting over a man is outdated.
The good thing is that there is an alternative route the sequel could take. T’Challa took the idea of opening up to the world from Killmonger. Realistically, Nakia has been saying this to him for years. It would make sense for her to be upset that he took the advice of a killer and not hers. Especially if Killmonger isn’t dead.
4. Tetu
During the first arc of the Ta-Nehisi Coates run of Black Panther, a character named Tetu was introduced.
Tetu was once one of the brightest students in Wakanda. He left to search for answers and a purpose, but he later returned as an enemy of Wakanda – and a powerful one at that. He was looking to change the way Wakanda was run, even if it meant destroying the Golden City. In addition, he took the teachings he was given and perverted the words into a reason for destruction and murder. This eventually leads to his defeat and his subsequent alliance with Hydra. I think that can be defined as irony.
Tetu may be the most perfect villain to introduce at this stage. His story is straightforward and makes sense with Ryan Coogler’s vision – a story that’s about how the old ways can become outdated.
Tetu may have gone about his actions in an unforgivably terrible way, but that doesn’t mean he was right or wrong. Tetu’s storyline could force the audience to look inside themselves and ask some very tough questions – questions about how things are run and how things can be changed without violence. This may seem like it could come off preachy, but Coogler is a genius. He could make it work.
3. Governments of the world
Wakanda was looked at as a third world country for centuries. A country that didn’t produce anything that couldn’t be bought anywhere else. Little did the rest of the world know, they were more advanced than anyone could have ever imagined. And not just in the technological sense.
The country has always believed in equal opportunities for every sex. The women aren’t looked at as lesser – in some cases, they’re the strongest. For example, there’s the Dora Milaje: Women who are some of the fiercest warriors in the world.
Wakanda coming out of the shadows was a gift and a curse. It may seem like paradise to some, but the rest of the world may be intimidated by this. Of course, they are going to be hesitant about sharing their technology with the world, but they will be part of United Nations talks that can help everyone. On the other hand, we’ve already seen that countries don’t like when their affairs are being meddled with. This will be no different.
There’s also the issue of fear. Once other nations find out about the kind of weapons Wakanda has, they may be scared into pre-emptively attacking. Fear makes people do stupid things. However, this storyline could be an interesting way of introducing Dr. Doom and Latveria. After all, Doom is the type of guy to send an army with no intention of winning, just so he can see can study his enemy.
2. Midnight Angels
A former Dora Milaje named Aneka was on trial for killing an oppressive man. She was going to be sentenced to death even though she was right. Her sister in arms Ayo came to her defense, but her words fell on deaf ears. However, Ayo wasn’t going to let her die without a fight, as she stole two prototype armors called the Midnight Angels and rescued her from prison.
When they were safe, Ayo told Aneka she wasn’t going to let her die. With that, they kissed and renounced their roles in the Dora Milaje, before setting out to make things right in African villages where women were abused by men – a righteous endeavor as, of course, no one deserves to be abused or mistreated.
Ayo has already been introduced in the MCU. You might remember her memorable scene with Black Widow in Captain America: Civil War, “Move. Or you will be moved”. As for Aneka, it’s always possible that she could have been a member of the Dora Milaje who sacrificed her role in the Wakandan army to do what she felt was right. Bringing them together adds more thought-provoking conversations, while also adding more representation for the LGBTQ community in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
1. Erik Killmonger
Erik Killmonger is among the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most amazing characters. He may have been the most important part of Black Panther, because, while the movie was always going to be good, it may not have been as memorable without him.
Michael B. Jordan really brought the character to life, delivering every line to perfection, and had the facial expressions to match.
At the end of the movie, T’Challa delivered a fatal blow to Killmonger, telling him that he could save him. However, Killmonger said, “Bury me in the ocean with my ancestors who jumped from the ships, because they knew death was better than bondage.” We think he’s dead, but it’s unlikely.
Marvel Studios has this bad habit of killing off their big-screen villains, while Marvel Comics fans know that no one really stays dead.
With so much money on the table, it wouldn’t be shocking if Killmonger was brought back. He may not be introduced in the beginning of the movie, but he could pop up in the middle. Especially if Tetu is involved and finds out that Killmonger is alive. Regardless, there’s no way that Marvel Studios will leave someone like Killmonger dead for long. People just love him too much.
We’ll have more news on Black Panther 2 and the cast as they come. Stay tuned! Are you excited for the film’s release? Who would you like to see as the villain? Let us know in the comments below!