Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s 2025 sequel is anMCUgem that I genuinely recommend to fans of the Marvel movies and wider world - and one I’m hoping people will give a chance even though it’s one of the franchise’s more unconventional stories.Black Panther’s release was a game-changer for the MCU, and not just because it made over $1 billion.
Black PantherandBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverboth provide in-depth looks atthe MCU timelineand its version of Wakanda, as well as at some of the franchise’s most endearing heroes, thanks to the stories of T’Challa and Shuri. As it stands, 2025’sBlack Panther 2sequel follows up on these stories while also covering a lot of other ground.
Black Panther 2’s 2025 Sequel Is A Fascinating Look At Hundreds Of Years Of MCU History
All at once,Eyes of Wakandamanages to be an action thriller, a sci-fi epic, a historical drama, and a look into over a thousand years of the MCU’s history. While, as you might imagine, this means it has to balance a lot of plates all at once, the show proves capable of doing it all and then some.
Initially, I found myself hooked on the historical action ofEyes of Wakandaepisode 1, and its stylish animation. The story proved immediately interesting in the sense that it provides a look at the backdrop of Wakanda’s history and how it managed to maintain secrecy for such a long time in the MCU’s world, helping tie the franchise closer together.
However, each episode provides something a little different, meaning you’ve had a far more varied journey by the end of its two-hour run. This is particularly true when it comes to theEyes of Wakandaending, which sees around 500 years of Earth’s history be rewritten thanks to its time-travel shenanigans - including the modern-day MCU.
Eyes of Wakandareleased on June 15, 2025.
Ultimately, theBlack Pantherspinoff works on two levels. For fans who want to delve into the intricacies of the MCU and its lore,Eyes of Wakandahas that and more - but it also works as some good old-fashioned action, drama and spectacle as well, even if you aren’t invested in what all this means for the bigger picture.
Eyes Of Wakanda Makes The Black Panther Movies Even More Interesting
The 2025Black Pantherspinoff is most engaging for the fact that it reveals a lot more about the MCU and its overarching story than it seemed like it perhaps would beforehand. This is largely in relation to Wakanda and its history, though notably, this isn’t the only topic it delves into.
In terms of linking to the MCU’s Black Panther movie history,Eyes of Wakandafleshes out the history of the Dora Milaje, as well as cementing Wakanda’s “War Dogs” - people go undercover in the outside world without ever revealing Wakanda’s presence. Naturally, these stories help explain how Wakanda was able to go incognito for so long.
Of course, though, the most important of these comes in theEyes of Wakandafinale. The ending of the show reveals that a Black Panther from around 2396 comes back to 1896 to change the dystopian future timeline - and successfully does so, seeminglyensuring the events we see inBlack PantherandBlack Panther: Wakanda Forevertake place.
First and foremost, this is interesting in terms of showing us some of the previously unseen trials other heroes underwent to ensure the MCU timeline as we know it takes place. However, it also reiterates how important Shuri’s present-day Black Panther story is, since we get to physically see how much had to happen to get to this point.
Eyes Of Wakanda Proves The Potential Of Canon Animated MCU Releases
Up until now, the MCU’s animated releases have almost entirely been based in alternate universes.What If…?is famously all based around alternate universes, andYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manis similarly focused on an alternate universe, much like howX-Men ‘97is an extension of theX-Men: The Animated Seriesuniverse.
OnlyI Am Groothas really had chance to show what an animated release in the actual main MCU timeline is like - and while Groot’s show adventures are charming, they delve far less into the broader world of the MCU. With all this in mind,it’s fascinating to see howEyes of Wakandashows us what we’ve been missing.
Currently, it’s more than understandable that the MCU keeps its focus on the world of live-action releases. However, allowing animated releases to delve into more fantastical concepts that might otherwise be too expensive to pull off - like a centuries-long look at a secret spy organization and its impact on the world - certainly makes a lot of sense.
With the MCU heading into some of its biggest upcoming releases - nowAvengers: DoomsdayandSpider-Man: Brand New Day’s storyare on the horizon - it doesn’t seem the franchise may have time for these types of releases much in the near future. However, theBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverspinoff certainly proves there’d be merit to similar releases down the line.
