Marvel Studios has released the first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which includes a first-look at Michaela Coel’s role in the hotly anticipated blockbuster.
The star and creator of celebrated drama series I May Destroy You was announced for the cast a little over a year ago, prompting much speculation over which comic book character she could be portraying.
The new trailer, released during Marvel Studios’ jam-packed San Diego Comic-Con panel, includes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimpse at Coel in action, donning blue armour and wielding a glowing blade.
Her character name has been revealed to be Aneka, a member of Wakandan military The Dora Milaje, who some have speculated could belong to the Midnight Angels strike force team.
Coel’s MCU debut was one of many memorable moments in the poignant trailer, which saw several characters grieving the loss of T’Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman) and set up a new threat in Namor (Narcos: Mexico‘s Tenoch Huerta) of the Atlanteans.
You can watch the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer below.
The teaser is light on dialogue, with the only line spoken by Angela Bassett’s Ramonda, who powerfully states: “I am queen of the most powerful nation in the world and my entire family is gone – have I not given everything?”
Given that Ramonda’s daughter, Shuri (Letitia Wright), remains a prominent figure in this film, some fans have theorised this could be a flashback to post-Infinity War, when both she and brother T’Challa were snapped by Thanos.
The trailer also offers an introduction for Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, a young tech genius who goes on to become the armoured superhero known as Ironheart (soon to be the subject of a Disney Plus series).
The teaser shows her working in Shuri’s laboratory and forging what appear to be components of her first suit, but it remains to be seen if we’ll see her in action before the end of the film.
The trailer ends with a mystery person wearing the Black Panther suit and equipping its vibranium claws, although its unclear if this is Shuri, Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira) or someone else entirely.
The first Black Panther film was released in 2018 and became a mammoth hit, raking in $1.3 billion at the box office as well as earning Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and six other categories.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is released in cinemas on Friday 11th November 2022. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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