Season 2 of Marvel’s long-awaited What If…? dropped two months ago, and while it fared well with the critics and the audiences, it didn’t really add much to the overall MCU narrative. However, the series promotional build-up period was really exciting, especially for the fans of Black Panther. Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, revealed that the studio is developing a new animated series titled Eyes of Wakanda, which is a spinoff from Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther film.
Fortunately, Winderbaum and the MCU didn’t keep this one under the rug, and details from the project have already been revealed to fans. From what we know so far, Eyes of Wakanda is the first Black Panther spinoff installment ever to grace the streaming service. Considering that the project was revealed during the What If…? promotion by none other than the head of animation, it stands to reason that Eyes of Wakanda is an animated series and not a live-action one, and the animated project is different from the purported Okoye origin series.
Unfortunately, the lead characters of Eyes of Wakanda have not yet been revealed, but the core of the narrative has been. The official synopsis for the animated series reveals that Eyes of Wakanda will likely be focused on different time periods and will follow a wide array of characters who have been tasked with traveling the world and retrieving dangerous vibranium artifacts. This is rather exciting news since we might be introduced to several other Black Panthers who even wore the mantle of King during Wakandan history.
For example, a talented Black artist, Shaun Harris, previously created concept art for Bashenga, the First Black Panther, and made his art public on Twitter (now X), and the fans of the Black Panther IP have demanded to see more of the first King of Wakanda ever since. Considering that the series will transition between different characters in different time periods, it’s entirely possible for fans to finally see Bashenga in all of his animated glory. Of course, this is mere speculation on our end, but it’s really not outside the realm of possibility, given how creative Marvel animations can get. Just look at What If…?
Another prevailing theory is that Eyes of Wakanda will focus on members of the Dora Milaje and how they served their home nation through the ages, which doesn’t take away from the potential appearances of other Black Panthers. But, as previously stated, these are all just theories and speculations at this point, so take this information in with a grain of salt. Still, it’s really hard not to think about the possible routes the new show might take and how all of that would fit into the existing Black Panther narrative and the overall MCU story direction.
Considering that Ryan Coogler, the director of 2018’s Black Panther, is involved with the project, puts the entire production in a more positive light amidst all the negative criticism currently being aimed at the MCU and Marvel under Disney. Under Coogler’s watchful eye, Black Panther, which would become one of the MCU’s most popular movies ever and a cultural phenomenon, as well as the only MCU movie to date to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Unfortunately, the lore couldn’t be properly explored due to Chadwick Boseman’s untimely passing, so a lot of story-threads understandably had to either shaft or fray.
Shuri replaced T’Challa as the MCU’s new Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which admittedly did mix some cannon and not-so-canon elements from the comic book lore perspective, but it still delivered a very solid narrative, a love letter to the late Chadwick Boseman, with Coogler receiving plenty of praise for delivering an authentic and compelling new take on Namor the Submariner. However, a lot of the pages were left blank, such as T’Challa’s ascension as the King of the Dead and ruler of the Necropolis, and the release of Eyes of Wakanda could potentially fill these blanks.
Whatever the case may be, we’re excited about Eyes of Wakanda, as it brings a very welcome expansion to the animated and cinematic lore of the Black Panther. The show has the potential to flesh out the entire Black Panther history that audiences have been clamoring for ever since the first film hit theaters. The good news is that fans and Wakanda-enthusiasts alike won’t have to wait long for Eyes of Wakanda to release. Though it was announced just recently, less than two months ago, Marvel already confirmed its release window would be in 2024.
Unfortunately, the studio didn’t provide an exact date when this would come out, but we can expect it to launch in the fall or even winter of this year. As is the case with all Marvel Studios animated series, Eyes of Wakanda will debut on Disney+, along with X-Men, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Marvel Zombies — all of which are scheduled to make their debut sometime in 2024.