Black Panther: Wakanda Foreveris hitting North American screens on August 13, 2025. The highly anticipated MCU release has already receivedhigh praise in early social media reactions, with many calling the film a beautiful tribute toChadwick Boseman, the first actor to play the hero on-screen. What hasn’t been disclosed as of yet is who will take up the mantle of Black Panther. Marvel, very wisely, chosenot to recast Boseman’s T’Challa, opting instead to confront the tragedy of his loss, both on and off-screen, full-on. So while we may not know who the new Black Panther is going forward, we do know that there is a precedent set in the pages of Marvel Comics of others who have been Black Panther over the course of the character’s comics history.
Black Panther 1,000,000 BC
Mosi was recruited to join the Avengers 1,000,000 BC (no word on if Fred Flintstone was a member or not) by Firehair, cave-woman host of the Phoenix Force, to help defend the people of Earth from a Celestial named Zgreb. After successfully defeating Zgreb, Mosi and the Avengers would take on the likes of the first Moon Knight and a young Thanos, before he could snap, until Mosi died after being stabbed during a battle.
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Erik Killmonger
T’Challa’s long-time nemesis, Killmonger has sought to take the Wakandan throne through subterfuge for years, unsuccessfully. It wouldn’t be until Reverend Achebe’s takeover of Wakanda that Killmonger succeeded, emerging victorious after challenging T’Challa to the leadership ritual. Because the heart-shaped herb that gives the Black Panther augmented abilities made him sick, Killmonger created a synthetic version and, finally, became Black Panther for a time.
T’Challa’s sister Shuri, the odds-on favorite to be the MCU’s new Black Panther, took on the role of the hero after T’Challa was gravely injured while crossing paths with Doctor Doom. As T’Challa recovered, Shuri wore the suit, determined to protect the Wakandan people in T’Challa’s absence. However, she did so without the blessing of the Panther god Bast, leaving her without Bast’s protection. After valiantly fighting for her people, Shuri was given the mantle of Black Panther and heralded as the rightful Queen of Wakanda, earning her place in the eyes of Bast.
S’Yan was the brother of T’Chaka, ascending to the role of Black Panther and King of Wakanda following T’Chaka’s death. However, his heart was never in it, taking over for his brother with much reluctance. Despite this, S’Yan stood his ground when challenged, taking on his opponents successfully until yielding to T’Challa. He freely handed over the title to his nephew, and proudly stood by T’Challa’s side as a trusted advisor, helping him to lead the prosperous country, until S’Yan fell to Doctor Doom while protecting the Queen Mother Ramonda.
T’Challa’s grandfather Azzuri held the twin titles of Black Panther and King of Wakanda during World War II. He was far more brutal in dealing with threats than his kin, but did also share the traits of compassion and mercy that are often associated with the hero. Azzuri’s introduction to the Marvel world came when Captain America visited Wakanda during the war. The two clashed immediately, but soon came to respect one another, joining with Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos to stop a Nazi invasion led by Baron Strucker and the Red Skull.
In the year 2099, Wakanda no longer has a Black Panther to protect the country after the royal bloodline died out. Instead, Wakanda is ruled by a council, one that is populated with members more interested in power and riches than the Wakandan people. One council member, K’Shamba, stood apart from this, openly expressing his discontent of the practice. When Doctor Doom successfully invaded Wakanda, the only council member to oppose the act was K’Shamba. He soon joined a group of resistance fighters, where his skill and bravery prompted the leaders of the group to give K’Shamba the Black Panther mask in a move to inspire the Wakandan people around him. After driving Doctor Doom out of the country and seemingly victorious, it is revealed shortly that K’Shamba is, in fact, an agent of Doctor Doom. Sheesh. If we can’t trust politicians by 2099, will we ever?
Azari is the son of T’Challa and longtime X-Men member Storm, orphaned after Ultron killed most of the Avengers on Earth-555326. He and other orphaned Avenger kids, like Francis Barton and James Rogers, took up the mantles of their parents, forming a young Avengers team intent on defeating Ultron. Azari is the best of both worlds, having inherited Black Panther’s augmented strengths and Storm’s electrokinesis (but not her ability to manipulate the weather).
Kevin Cole
Kevin Cole is a police officer with a heart, who joined the force in an honest bid to make a difference in the world. To help in his quest to take down the 66 Bridges Gang, Cole commandeered a bullet-proof Black Panther costume being held in the office of his boss, Sergeant Tork, Cole would find himself suspended from the force as a result, after which he continued his mission against the gang by posing as the Black Panther. Realizing he needed more than the suit, Cole took a synthetic version of the heart-shaped herb from Erik Killmonger. Cole would drop the Black Panther guise and become the White Tiger with his newfound abilities.
T’Challa’s father King T’Chaka, inCaptain America: Civil War, falls victim to a bombing at a UN Conference in Vienna, paving the way for T’Challa to become the new Black Panther. However, in the comics T’Chaka only held the role briefly, killed by Ulysses Klaue when T’Challa was a teenager. The mantle would fall to T’Chaka’s brother S’Yan first, followed by T’Challa after he successfully defeats S’Yan in combat.
Ngozi/Venom
Ngozi of Earth-17995 was a track star, until a bus accident left her paralyzed from the waist down and unable to walk. By chance, the Venom Symbiote, while fleeing from the Rhino, ran into and bonded with Ngozi. After Black Panther was killed, Ngozi and the symbiote worked together to take down the Rhino. The Dora Milaje took note of Ngozi/Venom’s strengths and recruited her into their ranks. Before long, she would be appointed T’Challa’s successor as ruler of Wakanda and, of course, Black Panther.
T’Dogo is one of the more interesting characters to appear on this list, especially given he didn’t technically become Black Panther. His introduction came about as part of the creation of Franklin Richards' pocket universe, subconsciously created to save the lives of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. In this pocket universe, these heroes were reborn into a new reality. T’Dogo was an exception, a fully original being created by Franklin. A citizen of Wakanda who worked as a valet, T’Dogo took on becoming Black Panther. Only one thing: the Black Panther name was outlawed by the people of Wakanda. Taking advantage of the loophole created by the specificity of the law, T’Dogo instead becamePanther Cub. Because nothing strikes fear in the hearts of those that challenge Wakanda like “Panther Cub.”
Ororo Munroe
Ororo Munroe, aka Storm, was married to T’Challa for a time, becoming Queen until T’Challa annuls their marriage as a result of theAvengers vs. X-Menstoryline in 2011. Throughout their time together, Munroe never became Black Panther, even when T’Challa was unable to do so. But that’s in the normal Marvel continuity. Earth-161 is where it’s at, and it’s here that Ororo Munroe does become a Black Panther. Or part of her does, at least, as her essence became separated into two entities, one of which was pure energy, held together by a Black Panther suit. She did not keep the name, instead opting for the monikerGhost Panther. Thank goodness she didn’t go with “Ghost Cub.”
Captain America
Yes, that’s right. Good ol' vanilla Steve Rogers was Black Panther, this time on Earth-1610. Rogers had trained T’Challa, the real Black Panther, in order to join the Ultimates. T’Challa’s throat was damaged, leaving him unable to speak. Rogers found out from Nick Fury how it happened, T’Challa’s history, and… that’s it, everything else was classified. Eventually able to communicate with one another, Rogers learned that everything Fury told him about the Black Panther was bollocks, and all T’Challa truly wanted to do was to return home to Wakanda to see his father. With a clever misdirect (thanks to the fact that no one had ever actually seen T’Challa’s face apart from himself), Rogers wore the Black Panther suit, taking T’Challa’s place in the Ultimates, allowing T’Challa to return home.
Emperor N’Jadaka
Erik Killmonger, aka N’Jadaka, was an Earth-616 warrior, who had his sights set on usurping the current emperor of Wakanda. And by golly, that’s what he did, becoming Emperor N’Jadaka, ruler of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. Not on his own, mind you, but with the help of a symbiote (like Venom), who also happened to despise the emperor, fully willing to bond with N’Jadaka to fulfill their mutual goal of seizing power.
