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Given the shenanigans of the MCU “Multiverse Saga” story arc, many fans expect Secret Wars to be a soft reboot of the franchise, resetting the status quo and recasting some key roles. That’s an easy opportunity for a T’Challa from another reality (a younger king) to become the new MCU Black Panther. The other possibility the franchise has introduced is Damson Idris playing T’Challa II, the young boy revealed at the end of Wakanda Forever as King T’Challa and former Wakandan “War Dog” operative Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). Again, whether through in-universe time progression or timeline hijinks, Damson Idris could step into the role of the Prince T’Challa character, entering a pivotal stage of adult life.
Damson Idris Responds to MCU Black Panther Rumors (And Gives Fans Hope)
While attending the TIME 100 Next Gala, Damson Idris (one of Hollywood’s quickest rising stars) was interviewed by the hosting outlet about his career. That, of course, led to questions about those Black Panther rumors, and Idris (ever the pro) gave one verbal answer, but also conveyed something in his body language that a lot of fans are taking as a hopeful tease, behind the veil of non-disclosure.
We can only tell you that Idris verbally responded, “No, no. I don’t know anything about it,” when asked about joining Marvel Studios as the new Black Panther; although we must point out: what about the MCU, the Black Panther movie phenomenon and franchise, or the deafening buzz from years of rumors about him taking over for Chadwick Boseman would Damson Idris not “know anything about”?
The verbal response is what it is; you can take a look at this photo from the interview HERE and then tell us: does that coy smile look like Damson Idris is already towing the company line?
To be clear, for months now, scoopers have been hinting that Marvel Studios already has the new T’Challa locked into the franchise. While no one has concretely confirmed it’s Damson Idris, no one has been able to debunk the idea, either. “I think that they know who they want for T’Challa,” reporter Jeff Sneider said on his podcast, back in late summer. He added, “For T’Challa, I don’t know if it’ll be Damson Idris … I think David Jonsson is really looking pretty good for that.”
