After the tragic news of the death of Chadwick Boseman to colon cancer, Marvel Studios has confirmed that there would be no recast for the king of Wakanda to honor him for the legacy he has left behind: the legacy of a real-life hero.
With this, reports say that since T'Challa will not be returning to MCU, Letitia Wright's Shuri will be taking over the title of Black Panther.
Shuri, being the next of kin to the throne, fits the hierarchy of who will be the next ruler of Wakanda to wear the Black Panther suit. Logically, when a king dies without a wife or an heir to the throne, the closest blood relative would take up the responsibility of leading the kingdom. In Shuri's case, since their mother is already queen and Nakia didn't marry T'Challa, it would be fitting for her to take the throne.
According to various reports, Shuri will be given more screen time and a much prominent role, not only for Wakanda but also for the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Being a technology genius at her age, Shuri can definitely contribute to the whole new team after the loss of half of the original Avengers and of her brother. This would mean we would be seeing a more mature Shuri in the next phase of MCU.
In a fan art shared by a digital artist on Instagram, ultraraw26 depicted Shuri donning the Black Panther suit where she is looking at the helmet. The fan art also included T'Challa looking down in the background with a spine-chilling feel of knowing that the suit of Black Panther will never be the same without him.
This makes it easier for fans to picture the great change that the whole MCU will face after losing one of the best actors to portray a role in its cinematic universe. Surely, Boseman's portrayal of T'Challa will forever be engraved in the hearts of fans and co-actors alike.
Although the arc of Shuri's story has not yet been revealed, it would be fitting if she is to take on the role of the protector of Wakanda and carry the Black Panther suit.
Black Panther 2 is set to be released on November 11, 2022,