TV & MOVIES The First Trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Will Give You Goosebumps

What will the world of Black Panther look like without Chadwick Boseman? It’s a question that’s been swirling ever since the tragic passing of the formidable Oscar-nominated actor back in 2020, at the age of just 43. Now, two years on, we’re finally getting an answer.

On July 24, Marvel unveiled the first teaser for the long-awaited sequel to the game-changing blockbuster, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever—and it’s both as heart-pumping and poignant as you’d expect. It opens with a gentle, ruminative rendition of “No Woman, No Cry,” as Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, the former lover of Boseman’s T’Challa, stands on a beach, gazing off into the sunset. The camera then cuts to Angela Bassett’s Ramonda, his mother, and Danai Gurira’s Wakandan general Okoye, as the pair stride into a room in all their finery. The former later declares: “I am queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone. Have I not given everything?” We then gaze up at a commemorative mural of the lost hero.

Also of note? A first glimpse of Michaela Coel in character as combat instructor Aneka; Letitia Wright’s Shuri, T’Challa beloved sister, shedding tears; mesmerizing troupes of dancers; sun-drenched aerial shots of Wakanda; warriors riding whales; and a slew of hair-raising car chases and fight sequences that confirm that, despite the mournful tenor of the new release, it won’t be skimping on spectacle either. The most tantalizing moment, however, comes right at the very end, when we briefly catch sight of a figure in a Black Panther costume ready to spring into action. So, who on earth is taking up T’Challa’s mantle?

We are unlikely to have an answer before the film’s release date of November 11, though the first official trailer, released on October 3, offered more clues. It appears to show a female figure in a new Black Panther suit, prompting speculation that Shuri, Nakia, or Okoye could be behind the mask. It also features a closer look at Tenoch Huerta’s Namor, the ruler of Atlantis and the film’s main antagonist, and Dominique Thorne’s debut as Ironheart, before she headlines her own Disney+ series in 2023.

Whoever emerges as the new Black Panther and whatever direction the sequel takes, it’s clear that it’ll be committed to paying tribute to both T’Challa and Boseman. “Chad’s passion and genius and the impact he made on this industry will be felt forever,” director Ryan Coogler said on stage at Comic-Con in July. “We put our love for him into this film. It’s a rollercoaster of a movie. It goes to new places in Wakanda that we’ve never seen before and it goes to new places in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I promise you, I feel his hand on me right now.” If the sweeping trailer wasn’t enough to give you goosebumps, this sentiment certainly will be.