With San Diego Comic-Con 2022 imminent, it is highly likely that the first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be arriving soon, and therefore it’s a good time to make some predictions for what could be shown. The Black Panther sequel is the next MCU movie set to be released following SDCC 2022. Naturally then, with Marvel Studios returning to Comic-Con for the first time since 2019, there is a tremendous expectation that they will reveal a lot about the remainder of the MCU’s Phase 4, with its next movie installment, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, being front and center.

With the MCU’s theatrical titles, Marvel Studios tends to wait between two and three months out from the release of the film before showing the first trailer. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is scheduled for release on November 11, 2022, and Comic-Con weekend would be just over three months out from the release of the sequel. While Marvel could wait to release Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s first trailer when they present at the D23 event in September, SDCC would make much more sense due to D23 only occurring two months before the film’s release.

With the trailer likely being shown at San Diego Comic-Con, then, speculation has been rising on what will be shown in the first look at Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther sequel. Not a lot has been officially revealed about the movie thus far, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever being one of the more secretive releases remaining in Phase 4 of the MCU. So, in anticipation of the trailer potentially releasing in San Diego this weekend, here is everything that is anticipated to be shown in the trailer for Phase 4’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Teases Of Black Panther 2’s Wakandan-Centric Story

Following the death of actor Chadwick Boseman in 2020 and Marvel’s decision not to recast his role of King T’Challa, a.ka. Black Panther, writer-director Ryan Coogler opted to center the sequel’s story on Wakanda itself rather than on its ruler. Coogler and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige decided to focus Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on different subcultures of the titular African nation, as well as characters from the original Black Panther, in order to explore and honor the legacy of that film that Chadwick Boseman helped create.

In light of this, it will be extremely interesting to see how Coogler wrote Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Whether it has a standout main character in the absence of T’Challa without a recast of Boseman, or whether it is more of an ensemble centered around Wakanda remains to be seen. However, if anything will give audiences insight into what the case may be, it is the first trailer for the film that will undoubtedly release at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con. With the country of Wakanda being one of the more interesting locations in the world of the MCU, the Black Panther sequel has the opportunity to explore such a setting in unparalleled depth. Hopefully, the trailer shown at SDCC will reflect this and look into how the film’s story will pan out without King T’Challa.

First Looks At Shuri, Okoye, Nakia & M’Baku In Wakanda Forever

Given Coogler and Feige’s choice to focus the sequel on the supporting characters of the original Black Panther, there is an assumption that the MCU would follow Marvel Comics stories and have Shuri, T’Challa’s sister, take up the Black Panther mantle. Whether Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will actually follow this story remains to be seen. However, Letitia Wright’s Shuri will likely have a large role in the sequel whether she becomes Black Panther or not. Therefore, it is likely that the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer at Comic-Con will give hints at Shuri’s story for the upcoming sequel.

Also, with other characters from the first movie such as Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) expected to be large parts of the movie, they will likely appear in the trailer as well. As Okoye is the head of the Dora Milaje, which protects Wakanda’s leader, and Nakia was T’Challa’s love interest in Black Panther, the trailer for Wakanda Forever needs to showcase their stories in the absence of Boseman’s character. Also, fan-favorite character M’Baku could become the new Black Panther instead of Shuri, as has been theorized. The trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will surely shed some light on M’Baku’s journey after his appearance in Avengers: Endgame. He, Shuri, Nakia, and Okoye were all present in the final battle against Thanos, meaning the Black Panther sequel’s trailer may deal with its direct aftermath as it regards the characters.

A Tease Of Dominque Thorne As Riri Williams/Ironheart

One of the most exciting aspects of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that is yet to be revealed, outside of merchandising leaks, is the inclusion of Riri Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart. In the comics, Riri is a young girl who creates the most advanced suit of armor in the world, rivaling Tony Stark’s Iron Man. In the MCU, Riri Williams will be played by Dominique Thorne and will similarly create an Iron Man-like suit of armor to become Ironheart. With Riri slated to be Tony Stark’s replacement in the MCU following the latter’s death in Avengers: Endgame, the expected Black Panther 2 Comic-Con trailer will likely feature her to some extent. Also, with early reports and rumors hinting that Riri is directly responsible for the movie’s central conflict, the trailer will have to divulge some hints about this story point.

First Look At The MCU’s Atlantis In Black Panther 2

The central conflict that Riri Williams is responsible for is said to be linked to Atlantis. In Marvel Comics, Atlantis is an underwater nation and boasts one of the most highly advanced civilizations on Earth. Naturally, with Wakanda in the MCU being highly technologically advanced, it makes sense for Atlantis to be included alongside it. As Black Panther 2 will divulge Atlantis’s MCU origins, it would make sense for the trailer to give the MCU fans their first look at the underwater nation. Given the early reports of the film have stated that Atlantis’s Greek-mythology-based aesthetic from the comics will be changed to reflect ancient Central American culture, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Comic-Con trailer should be where these changes are showcased for the first time. Not only will this give a good look at how the MCU is adapting the comics it is based on in a big way, but the reveal will also provide insight into the film’s plot and its characters’ involvement in it, such as Riri’s role.

Tenoch Huerta As Namor

With Atlantis set to feature in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the ruler of that country, Namor the Sub-Mariner, won’t be far behind. Being a character in Marvel Comics with a very gray moral compass, as he is neither hero nor villain, Namor is expected to be adapted into the MCU as Wakanda Forever’s antagonist. Namor will be played by Tenoch Huerta in the MCU, further providing evidence of Atlantis’s shift to reflect Central America given Huerta’s Aztec origins. While it is unclear whether Namor will follow his antihero personality from the comics, he is at least all but confirmed to be playing an antagonistic role in the sequel. This doesn’t necessarily mean he will be evil, or even a villain in the movie, especially considering the comics’ version of Namor simply doing what is often best for his country and his people. However, this will likely put him at odds with the people of Wakanda. Despite the many changes made to Namor for the MCU, at least in terms of his aesthetic and origins, his devotion to Atlantis will still be a major part of his character in the sequel.

This likely means that Huerta’s role as Namor will finally be officially confirmed in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer to be shown at Comic-Con. As Namor is rumored to have a large role, any trailer released for the movie will need to feature the Sub-Mariner in some capacity. However, whether it will be a small stinger at the end of the trailer or Namor and Atlantis will feature in a large portion of the trailer, will be revealed at SDCC 2022.

Hints Of The Wakanda-Atlantis War Rumored To Be In Black Panther 2

With Ironheart reportedly being instrumental in igniting a war between Atlantis and Wakanda and causing Namor to be at odds with Wakanda Forever‘s characters, the conflict between the two nations will need to be featured in the trailer. Given the leaked Black Panther: Wakanda Forever story reveals, as well as the comics featuring numerous clashes between Wakanda and Atlantis, it is clear the Black Panther sequel’s war should be in the trailer. Should Ironheart, Namor, and Atlantis be featured in the trailer, it would only make sense for the hints of conflict between the warring countries to be shown, too. That being said, Marvel Studios is usually very careful with what is shown in their trailers, meaning it is likely the biggest, most ambitious aspects of the conflict won’t be shown in the Comic-Con teaser trailer. However, hints of the war and some brief action sequences are likely going to be premiered at SDCC for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

How Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Fits Into The Wider MCU Phase 4

One of the last things that will be most interesting to see in the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be how the movie fits into the MCU’s sprawling Phase 4 timeline. The previous two Phase 4 theatrical films, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder, made it clear in their trailers whether they would address the overarching elements of Phase 4. For the most part, Thor: Love and Thunder’s trailer was absent from anything tying it to Phase 4, including such aspects as the multiverse and the Young Avengers. The Doctor Strange sequel, though, as evident by its Multiverse of Madness title, showcased the titular overarching story of Phase 4 massively.

Given how other upcoming Phase 4 projects, like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, are confirmed to be multiverse related, with the inclusion of the MCU’s Kang the Conqueror, while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels will both be more cosmic, the Black Panther sequel is the only movie left in Phase 4’s confirmed slate to reveal its status within the wider MCU. Naturally, then, the first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will need to make it clear whether it will deal with any multiversal aspects or include any other hints to Phase 4. There are theories about Captain America and the Winter Soldier appearances, given their links to the nation of Wakanda. Regardless, it remains the case that the expected Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Comic-Con trailer is highly anticipated and will need to reveal a lot of elements to continue building hype for the MCU’s upcoming sequel.