Black Panther Theories

The hotly anticipated Black Panther has dominated social media for days now. Like all Marvel films, which are integrated into a shared storyline, Black Panther is rife with clues and Easter eggs which connect it to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are plenty of rundowns online detailing these – my personal favourite being Mr. Sunday Movies‘ – so I’ll skip all that and just go ahead and submit my theories.

1. The Soul Gem

Many people anticipated that the missing Infinity Stone would appear in Black Panther. The Soul Gem allows its user to contact or control the dead. Many speculated that it may be in the Wakandan Necropolis, which is where King T’Challa communes with the Black Panthers of the past in the comics. However, this did not appear to be the case in the movie, instead having him travel to the ancestral realm during a rebirthing ritual. The Black Panther consumes a Heart-Shaped Herb, and is buried where he receives visions of his ancestors.

I am still of the opinion that the vibranium in Wakanda is somehow connected to the Soul Gem. The narrator in the film’s prologue said that the vibranium meteor changed the flora around the impact site. What kind of material would cause herbs that can transport you to the netherworld to grow? An infinity stone. Specifically, the soul gem.

The infinity stones have taken all different shapes and sizes in the MCU. The space gem was a cube, the mind gem was inside a staff, the aether was seemingly gaseous or liquefied when it suited it, the power stone hid inside of an orb, and the time gem was inside of an ancient magical relic. Why not have the soul stone inside a meteor?

I also think there may be more to this than meets the eye. In the final act of the film, W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) says that there are vibranium deposits in New York, London and Hong Kong – the locations of the Sanctums from Doctor Strange. The Sanctums generate a magical field that defends the Earth against threats from other dimensions. Perhaps the vibranium plays into this.

The inclusion of the herb as a connection to the Infinity Stones also completes the ‘T.H.A.N.O.S theory”. The first letters of all the identities of the infinity stones so far spell out Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) name. Whilst many believe the “H” stands for “Heimdall” (Idris Elba, Thor), I believe it is for the Heart-Shaped Herb.

2. Girl power

Black Panther introduces us to some powerful Wakandan females. The sister of T’Challa, Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) is the heir to the throne of Wakanda and the title of Black Panther. In the comics, Shuri has become the Black Panther for a time (see below). Shuri has shined as a fan favourite and has demonstrated that she’s more than capable of looking after herself. Perhaps Shuri will take up the Black Panther title herself once Chadwick Boseman tires of the role.

Black Panther Shuri in Marvel Comics

In addition, we are also introduced to Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) as T’Challa’s love interest. She too demonstrates an ability to fight in the movie, fighting off an ersatz Boko Haram as one of Wakanda’s ‘wardogs’. In the source material, Nakia becomes crazily obsessed with T’Challa and attempts to kill his ex-girlfriends. Nakia is also part of the Dora Milaje, the Wakandan king’s bodyguards in the comics too, which is alluded to when she dons one of their costumes in the final fight. Perhaps Marvel are lining up Nakia to be a future tragic villain for the Black Panther.

3. The White Wolf

In the post-credits scenes, we are reunited with Bucky Barnes aka the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) for the first time since he was put in a Wakandan cryogenic chamber in Captain America: Civil War. In the scene, some Wakandan children call him “the White Wolf”.

In the comics, the White Wolf is a white American named Hunter who survived a plane crash when he was younger and was raised in Wakanda as T’Challa’s adopted brother. He became head of the Wakandan secret police, the Hatut Zeraze, and was equipped with a vibranium suit just like T’Challa’s (only white). The character became a fervent Wakandan loyalist to prove he was just as Wakandan as people born there.

Hunter as the White Wolf in Marvel Comics

Since Hunter was exiled from his adopted homeland in the comics, that could be a reason why Hunter was missing from the story. It could also be a reason why Bucky is now the White Wolf, as Hunter has been stripped of the title. Or perhaps Hunter simply does not exist in the MCU, and they’ve merely given the title to Bucky instead.

Maybe upon hearing of T’Challa’s policy of openness, the exiled secret policeman returns to Wakanda to get revenge on his adopted brother.

White Wolf Hunter and Black Panther T’Challa in Marvel Comics

These are all just theories. Who knows what is in the mind of director Ryan Coogler and MCU overlord Kevin Feige. But one thing’s for sure … Black Panther won’t be pouncing off our movie screens any time soon.