Everyone loves easter eggs, and the MCU is filled with the best easter eggs for the fans of Marvel Comics and the vast legacy of characters old and new. With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, many expect the most powerful nation on the planet to be full of easter eggs, especially with the inclusion of an entire underwater kingdom.
Considering that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever tells the intimate story of grief and loss, it's not surprising that the film takes a bit of a backseat when it comes to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever easter eggs. The MCU always advances with a cohesive universe, and plenty of easter eggs to enjoy for the potential future of the franchise, both Black Panther and the entire MCU.
8 Prayer To Bast
The opening to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens with a whisper. Shuri whispers to the god of Wakanda, Bast, about saving her brother, T’Challa from an unknown illness. This prayer may be brief, and not the primary focus of the scene, considering audiences are witnessing the tense and heartbreaking moment when the people of Wakanda lose their King, and audiences say goodbye to Chadwick Boseman.
However, the prayer to Bast is worth noting, as Bast is an important character not only in the MCU but in the Marvel Comics mythos. Bast is a Panther-Goddess and is worshipped by the people of Wakanda. Bast has been seen in multiple forms in the comics and decides who is worthy to be the Black Panther based on the heart-shaped herb they ingest.
7 Griot
In West African history, a griot is a storyteller, and an important figurehead in culture due to their position and function as a knowledge keeper. Shuri provides her AI with a name and calls it Griot. This name is not only important for the culture, but it is also the name of a character that Shuri becomes in Marvel Comics.
Shuri dies in the comics, is later resurrected with a new form, and becomes Griot. Her death occurs at the hands of Proxima Midnight, a member of Thanos’ Black Order. After her death, she becomes Groit, with a vast knowledge of Wakanda’s history. She has great powers and is very different from the Black Panther.
6 “Imperius Rex”
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When Namor and Shuri have their epic battle in a desert as the Sub-Mariner and the Black Panther, Namor utters the phrase “Imperius Rex”. This word has a rich history with Namor and shows that his battle cry from the comics remains true in the MCU. Imperius Rex is a Latin translation of King Emperor, a famed catchphrase of the underwater king of Marvel Comics.
Not only does Namor say “Imperius Rex” at this moment, but he says it many times throughout the comics. The catchphrase may be confusing to some, and even to Namor’s enemies, but in Marvel Comics, it doesn’t harbor any meaning other than an important battle cry to Namor, to let his enemies know that he is the King Emperor.
5 The First Mutant
An important moment in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is when Namor tells of his backstory. It’s intimate and more culturally rich than the origin of the comics, but equally important for the MCU moving forward. However, perhaps the most notable piece of information that Namor provides Shuri, is when he describes himself as a Mutant.
It’s no secret that the Mutants have been absent from the MCU for quite some time. Part of this is specifically because Marvel Studios did not own the rights to many Mutant characters for decades. Now that they do, Namor can state he is a Mutant, which is entirely true, and is the MCU’s first Mutant, just as he was the first Marvel-published mutant in 1939.
4 The Midnight Angels
The Midnight Angels debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. These characters are a division of the Dora Milaje, the personal bodyguards of the Black Panther, and extremely talented and fierce warriors in many forms of martial arts and weaponry.
To make the Dora Milaje even stronger, they have a strike force dedicated to the very best of them, called the Midnight Angels. The armor of the Midnight Angels is ripped straight from the comics and put into the film, showing a great homage.
3 Erik Killmonger
A fierce villain in the Black Panther comics is Erik Killmonger. This cousin to T’Challa and Shuri challenges Wakanda for the throne and wants nothing more than to show the world the force of Wakanda’s might and selfishness with its power and materials. This character was in the first Black Panther film and was killed in a battle with T’Challa.
Audiences were shocked to see Michael B. Jordan reprise his role as Killmonger in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Killmonger acts as a moral guide to Shuri, and they converse in the ancestral plane. Killmonger is the embodiment of vengeance, and how Shuri can turn the grief for her family into something hateful.
2 Look Out For The Little Guy
Whilst the characters in the film watch CNN, there is a small easter egg perfect for the smallest superhero. The news mentions Scott Lang, and his autobiography “Look Out for the Little Guy”, this book details Scott Lang’s journey from theif to hero, and how he helped defeat Thanos. It shot him into superstardom, with consequences yet to be seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
This easter egg further shows the connection between the MCU, and how intricate and well-knitted it all is. This is a great and hidden easter egg for the fans of Ant-Man, and those that are looking forward to his third film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania, which is already looking like a promising and exciting venture on a microscopic scale.
1 Contessa Reveal
The identity of Contessa has been a secret in the MCU for the Disney Plus shows. Her appearances have been the cause of many questions, with many audiences wondering just how far this character will play into the new phases of the MCU. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever means that audiences will no longer have to guess, as the Contessa is revealed as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the acting Director of the CIA.
This reveal is also paired with the knowledge that she is the ex-wife of Everett Ross. This is a character that exists in Marvel Comics too, in which she became the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. She has a romantic relationship with Nick Fury at one point, and a long history with other Marvel characters yet to be explored in the MCU.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters.