The legacy of Black Panther has gone beyond King T’Challa, and many fans witnessed this in both Marvel Comics and the cinematic universe. From Shuri to Captain America, many have donned the Black Panther suit, bringing fresh perspectives to their respective stories.
Soon, fans will be able to experience Black Panther‘s story in a new light with EA’s upcoming standalone game based on the popular Marvel franchise. Not much is known about the title yet, but rumors claim that EA’s Black Panther will reportedly feature a mix of African martial arts, and will allow players to explore different areas of Wakanda. What’s interesting is that players could allegedly choose to play as different Black Panthers, including Erik Killmonger, a known supervillain.
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Killmonger Could Take EA’s Black Panther to a Darker Direction
As mentioned, many Marvel characters have had the privilege of becoming the Black Panther, and one of them is Erik Killmonger. In both the Black Panther comics and movies, Killmonger is portrayed as King T’Challa’s deadliest foe, who wants to take over Wakanda and use the Black Panther power to go to war with every nation. In the 2018 Black Panther movie, Killmonger is shown burning the Heart-Shaped Herbs, so he could be the last Black Panther, and is fully prepared to kill fellow Wakandans standing in his way.
According to a recent report by leaker TheGhostofHope, the upcoming Black Panther game might have the option to choose the next Black Panther, which includes characters like Shuri, Killmonger, and more. They also noted that the game’s story “reacts to your choices and actions,” which heavily implies that each Black Panther might have a unique storyline. This would be an interesting approach to the game because it will allow players to try out different abilities and explore multiple possibilities with each character, especially with a known villain like Killmonger.
Rumored Next Black Panthers in EA’s Upcoming Game
- T’Challa
- Shuri
- Azari
- M’Baku
- Killmonger
One could imagine that choosing Killmonger as the next Black Panther might mean killing a lot of innocent people in and outside of Wakanda, destroying resources, and plotting world domination. It’s possible that going this route could become dark, as T’Challa and other Wakandan warriors might not be able to stop him from doing despicable acts. At the same time, EA’s Black Panther has an opportunity to stand out among Marvel superhero games. A dark Killmonger route would be a cool representation of the fact that superhero stories don’t always have feel-good endings. Of course, players should also have the option to change Killmonger’s fate, turning him into a noble Black Panther successor.
If the rumors are true, EA’s Black Panther may be setting up a lot of replay value for players, especially those who would want to see every possibility for each character choice. This would be a great way to expand on Black Panther‘s story in a creative way and put the spotlight on other characters from Wakanda, and not just put the focus on T’Challa. It’s also quite timely since Shuri is the current Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after the sudden passing of T’Challa (played by the late Chadwick Boseman). Toussaint, aka Prince T’Challa II, who’s the son of T’Challa and Nakia, is already implied as the Black Panther successor once he’s of age.
Toussaint is different from Azari T’Challa, who is the son of Storm and King T’Challa.
It will also be interesting if developer Cliffhanger Games plans on introducing non-Wakandans who could become Black Panthers too. They could have their own unique storylines, abilities, and interactions with T’Challa and others. For now, expectant gamers will have to wait and see what EA and Cliffhanger Games have in store for Black Panther.
Black Panther
- Release Date
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February 16, 2018
- Runtime
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134 Minutes
- Director
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Ryan Coogler
- Writers
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Joe Robert Cole, Ryan Coogler
- Sequel(s)
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever