Filming for the sequel to 2018's Black Panther, also known as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, has officially begun. This means that Marvel fans can expect to see a set photo leak every now and then, which is exactly what we're here to talk about.
Say hello to MCU's newest hero, Ironheart
NEW set photos of Danai Gurira (Okoye) and Letitia Wright (Shuri) for the production of BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER at MIT! 📸
(via: @TMZ) pic.twitter.com/Yu7I5YEqcj
— Black Panther: Wakanda Forever News (@bpanthernews) August 25, 2021
Several sources have reported seeing Letitia Wright (Shuri) and Danai Gurira (Okoye) filming on-site at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, otherwise known as MIT.
The prestigious US university was where Tony Stark graduated at the young age of 17 as the summa cum laude. He also since founded the September Foundation and occasionally returns to his former university as a speaker. A good example of this is the opening scenes of Captain America: Civil War. The said sequence set up numerous plotlines for future MCU films like the origin story of Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio as a disgruntled Stark Industries employee.
With both Shuri and Okoye visiting MIT, presumably where Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams, who is also known as Ironheart in the comics, goes to school, it's safe to assume that Wakanda Forever will introduce the MCU's latest hero.
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, 25-08-2021 pic.twitter.com/GjaA4w5GG5
— XRealm Bishop (@CreamOrScream) August 26, 2021
All that's left now is for a trailer of Wakanda Forever to drop that will confirm Riri Williams showing up as Ironheart. Of course, that's still a long way to go. Black Panther isn't expected to premiere until July 2022, so fans will have to wait a while to see Riri Williams in action.
Of course, this won't stop us from speculating.
Because the set photo confirms Riri as an MIT student, the story could set her up as one of the recipients of the grants from the September Foundation. In a way, this could be how the MCU passes on the mantle to her, so that she can take over as the Iron Man.
Although another potential plotline is for the MCU to save her superhero transformation for the upcoming Ironheart TV show on Disney+.
If that happens, Wakanda Forever could set up her origin story while her TV series explores her life as a young hero. Then again, the MCU could also do it the other way around, with Wakanda Forever showing her as an established superhero already with the series exploring her early beginnings.
With that said, only time can tell just how big of a role Thorne's Ironheart will play in Wakanda Forever and in future MCU films.
In the meantime, you can feast your eyes on the trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Marvel fans can also look forward to watching Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in theaters starting on September 3.
