After four long years, Marvel fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief—the fourth trailer for Avengers: Doomsday has officially resolved one of the MCU’s most lingering cliffhangers. Remember Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? While Shuri stepped into the role of the Black Panther, she never intended to claim the throne. This separation of the Black Panther mantle from the monarchy isn’t entirely new to Marvel lore, but it’s a fresh twist for the MCU. And this is the part most people miss: who would take the crown?
Wakanda Forever heavily hinted that the new monarch was none other than Winston Duke’s M’Baku, T’Challa’s former rival. M’Baku’s rise to power is a thrilling development, especially given his immense popularity and his starkly different philosophy compared to T’Challa or Shuri. But here’s where it gets controversial: is M’Baku the right leader for Wakanda in the face of an impending Doomsday?
The latest Avengers: Doomsday teaser confirms it—M’Baku is indeed the King of Wakanda. Set in the heart of Wakanda, the trailer features Shuri’s return and her voice-over, which reveals M’Baku’s role: to prepare his people for death. This aligns perfectly with the previous X-Men Doomsday trailer, which hinted that the mutant reality is also on the brink of destruction. It’s a chilling echo of the 2015 Secret Wars comics, where T’Challa was the first to learn of the multiverse’s peril. But is M’Baku’s leadership style—bold and combative—what Wakanda needs now?
There are subtle clues that Wakanda has evolved under M’Baku’s reign. Shuri’s Black Panther armor, for instance, now incorporates Atlantean technology, signaling a strengthened alliance between Wakanda and Atlantis. This is surprising, given M’Baku’s historically isolationist tendencies. However, both kingdoms share a history of withdrawal from other civilizations, so perhaps this partnership makes more sense than it seems. But what does this mean for the rest of the MCU? Will M’Baku’s Wakanda continue sharing its advanced technology, or will it retreat further into secrecy?
The arrival of the Fantastic Four in Wakanda adds another layer of intrigue. They’ll likely assume the rest of the MCU is as technologically advanced as Wakanda, but in reality, Wakanda stands head and shoulders above the rest. As the stakes reach an all-time high, how will M’Baku’s leadership shape Wakanda’s role in the larger MCU?
What do you think? Is M’Baku the leader Wakanda needs right now? Will his reign bring the nation closer to the rest of the world, or push it further into isolation? And here’s a thought-provoking question: Could M’Baku’s combative nature be exactly what’s needed to face Doomsday, or will it lead Wakanda into uncharted—and potentially dangerous—territory? Leave a comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
