Following the unfortunate death of Chadwick Boseman, fans were anxious to see how director Ryan Coogler would handle the Black Panther story. All eyes were on him, and no one knew what to expect. What they learned was that it would be an emotional journey. Last month, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever landed in theaters and blew everyone away. A lot has changed in the world’s most advanced nation. There isn’t just a new Black Panther, but also a new ruler of Wakanda.
Some viewers may have felt a little confused when M’Baku (Winston Duke) stepped out of the Wakandan aircraft to challenge for the throne in place of Shuri. The leader of the Jabari announced his candidacy for the throne, which the leaders of the nation seemed to welcome this time around. However, they were expecting Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) to take the place of her mother and brother. Why did M’Baku become king instead of Shuri?
By the traditions of Wakanda, The Black Panther has always protected the nation for hundreds of years. No matter who it is, there is always a Black Panther. However, the one who holds the mantle isn’t always the King of Wakanda. When we first met the Wakandan royalty in Captain America: Civil War, the king at the time was T’Chaka, T’Challa’s father. However, it was T’Challa who was the Black Panther, having taken the mantle from his father, which is why he was able to spring into action so fast following the death of the King. By this standard, Shuri can hold the mantle after her brother while M’Baku holds the throne.
While it wasn’t officially confirmed that M’Baku had taken the throne in Wakanda Forever, he is likely the new king as Shuri was in Haiti at the time visiting Nakia. Because of this, her absence from the ceremony at Warrior Falls was likely a sign of forfeiture. To challenge for the throne, one would have to be of noble birth. There was likely no other challenger that could reasonably beat M’Baku for the throne. So, he would have been crowned as the new King of Wakanda uncontested. The leader of the Jabari was given Shuri’s blessing to succeed Queen Romanda after her death, as he was noticeably not as brash as he was in 2016’s Black Panther. The other elders at the ceremony also seemed to acknowledge because most were happy to see him when he stepped off the aircraft in Shuri’s place. And if all this isn’t reason enough to believe that M’Baku is now king, Winston Duke confirmed it himself (via Looper).
M’Baku was more of an antagonistic figure when first introduced. He disputed many of Wakanda’s customs and wasn’t easy to broker with to aid in the nation’s protection. But in Wakanda Forever, it was clear that he had changed for the better. While the Wakandan elders were arguing over how to approach their Talokan problem, M’Baku showed wisdom worthy of the new king of Wakanda by acting as a surprising voice of reason. Even though it had been his idea to strike first against the underwater kingdom, he eventually came to see the Talokan people’s loyalty to Namor and argued that war was not the answer. And even though he had opposed Shuri for her technological advancements in the last film, this one saw him acting as a big brother-figure towards her by trying to encourage her to think past her need for revenge. And despite whatever his feelings may have been in the past, M’Baku was able to put them aside to come to the aid of T’Challa in reclaiming the throne from Killmonger. Whatever he may be, he’s a man who cares for his people and his country.
However, M’Baku may be more of a steward than a king, as explained by Nerdist. Because T’Challa was revealed to have had a son before he died, young Toussaint could eventually grow to take his rightful seat on the throne. M’Baku could just be a placeholder for the time being until T’Challa II comes of age to take the seat his father once sat. For now, the boy continues to live in Haiti with Nakia because she and T’Challa thought it would be best for him to grow without the pressures of the crown. But the day could come when fans see the royal family take back their ancestral seat.
The big question isn’t why M’Baku became king, but why Shuri didn’t take the throne herself. Shuri went through quite a journey and metamorphosis in Wakanda Forever. The last couple of times fans saw her, she was more of a happy-go-lucky character who aided T’Challa in his efforts. Wakanda Forever saw her forced to step into her brother’s shoes for the safety and protection of Wakanda. She was clearly not as collected and reserved as her brother, though. She was motivated by her need for vengeance for her mother’s murder and led by her rage. This is why she saw Killmonger in the Ancestral Plain: because she subconsciously reached out to the relative that would most recognize what she was going through emotionally.
Despite her anger and pain, she recognized that she was on the wrong path and that her trajectory was not what her family would have wanted for her, which is why she forced Namor to submit rather than kill him in vengeance. Shuri realized by sparing him that she still had a lot of growing to do, and thus was not ready to take the thrown. M’Baku was the next best choice. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever showed fans that Shuri was a flawed character compared to her almost saintly brother. Shuri’s story is only just beginning. She will likely face many more conflicts and moral choices as her story progresses, and as she does so, M’Baku will run Wakanda in her stead.
