Spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever below!
Star of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Angela Bassett talks about her potential comeback to the Marvel Cinematic Universe following her character’s shocking demise. Bassett plays Queen Ramonda, the temporary leader of the Kingdom of Wakanda after her son King T’Challa/Black Panther passed away too soon (Chadwick Boseman). Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and his forces launch an assault on the Wakandan capital city in retaliation for an unauthorized invasion into his undersea city of Talokan that resulted in the deaths of several of its inhabitants. Ramonda fortunately survives the drowning, but she also saves Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) from certain death.
After her character died in Namor’s Wakanda attack, Bassett talks about Ramonda’s potential MCU comeback in a recent interview with Deadline. Deadline admits that a Marvel character’s passing does not always mean they are gone from the expansive shared universe while discussing the tragic death of the Queen. Bassett replies that the same thing was said to her by Ryan Coogler, the writer and director of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Read the entire interview conversation below:
Deadline: “I was surprised, I must say, that we saw the death, we think, of Queen [Ramonda]. But I know this is a Marvel movie. And I know the end isn’t always the end.”
Bassett: “That’s what Ryan said to me!”
Deadline: “Really? Okay, because –“
Bassett: “That’s what he said! Should I believe it?”
Deadline: “I — Yes! We believe that you’re coming back.”
Bassett: “Oh, we must. Now, I don’t want to set myself up and be disappointed.”
Deadline: “But that is possible in this world…in the MCU, for sure. Would you like to?”
Bassett: “I would love to. I would love to.”
How Could Queen Ramonda Come Back?
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ramonda’s passing dealt a terrible blow to the nation, which had recently lost their beloved king T’Challa. The Queen led her people through a time of grief and anxiety with keen observation, unmatched wit, and natural leadership. With Bassett receiving only positive reviews for her performance and the actor echoing Coogler’s evasive remarks, there is optimism that Ramonda will make a comeback in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In the vast shared universe of Marvel, many characters have been killed off only to somehow make a comeback. Clark Gregg’s character, Phil Couslon, was killed off in the first Avengers movie only to be revived in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series and make a comeback in Captain Marvel. To get the Soul Stone from the Red Skull (another character who has been brought back to life), Thanos killed Gamora (Zoe Saldana), but a different version of her later appeared in Avengers: Endgame and the eagerly awaited Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Throughout the lengthy franchise, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has experienced numerous deaths and resurrections.
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ramonda’s sacrifice might be lessened if she were to return. If Bassett does appear again in the main MCU timeline, it will probably be in Black Panther 3 when Shuri (Letitia Wright) inevitably makes her way back to the Ancestral Plane. There, Killmonger reunited with his father, N’Jobu (Sterling K. Brown), and Shuri had a tense encounter with Killmonger. T’Challa also saw his deceased father. Black Panther 3 will probably give Shuri the opportunity to properly bid her mother farewell after she was devastated not getting to see her brother for the final time.
Source: Deadline