The climactic Avengers: Endgame of course changed a lot for the MCU, and it appears Wakanda is no exception. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Winston Duke has now explained how the events involving taking down Thanos have shaped not only the thriving nation, but M'baku as well.
Wakanda was in the midst of opening its borders to the rest of the world at the end of Black Panther until the blip -- like it did to everything else -- caused a tremendous setback for the nation as half of all life was erased. And with losing the late Chadwick Boseman's King T'Challa, Wakanda is striving to find a sense of stability, which involves having plenty of new leaders stepping up.
Speaking with Collider, Duke, who is reprising his role as M'baku, explained how the last two Avengers films changed the way Wakanda operates, sharing how Wakanda's mountain tribe, the Jabari, could no longer live in isolation. “I think the events of Infinity War and Endgame really showed that the Jabari are now full-fledged members of Wakanda," said Winston. "M'Baku was a part of every single conflict; every event, and I don't think they could really exist in isolation anymore. They have open borders, and we saw that M'Baku was really Wakandan. His entire community has expanded.”
Duke also shared how M'baku views the changing Wakanda, comparing it to the real world having to adjust during the pandemic. “Now we get to see how he figures out a brand-new world for Wakanda; a brand-new world like we've had to experience. A world post-COVID; a world post-pandemic or mid-pandemic. Much like us, he's going through a lot of the same things and figuring out how to move forward. This movie really deals and dives into that a lot.”
One of the big themes for the upcoming film seems to be centered around unity and coming together after a difficult time, whether that involves uniting after the events of the blip or the passing of T'Challa (or of course after the tragic passing of Boseman). And now with new conflicts involving Namor the Sub-Mariner and his nation, Wakanda will especially have to grow and adapt and come together, hence why M'baku and the rest of the Jabari tribe will play a pivotal role in the film.
Also, the sequel has an even greater task, as it will close out the fourth phase. But with an assured director, a very talented cast, and understanding the context of what the sequel has endured, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will surely deliver something truly spectacular. Other returning cast members include Letitia Wright as Shuri, Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, and Angela Bassett as Ramonda. Dominique Thorne will make her MCU debut in the movie as Riri Williams.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to arrive in theaters on November 11, 2022.
Source: Collider