The Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded its roster of heroes once again in a way that I doubt many fans saw coming. On August 1, Disney released Eyes of Wakanda to Disney+, making it the fifteenth television series of the franchise. While that could make even some of the most devout Marvel viewers hesitate, the real surprise is that Disney added yet another Black Panther—not just another Black Panther, though, but a Black Panther unlike any that would precede her.
In the fourth episode “The Last Panther,” after many adventures and much action, we meet a mysterious being who will fill the fabled role of Wakanda. Yet we do not learn her name; the title of the episode serves as her name. This Black Panther is from the 24th century and lives many centuries removed from the canon of timeline that the viewers have come to know part of the through the years. She backtracked through time to the current MCU era to warn of an impending apocalyptic alien invasion.
She offered to explain that the Wakanda of her time would succumb to an unholy destruction by The Horde. She returns to a time long ago with the intent to re-write history, so her world does not perish. The concept marries the mystical realm of Wakanda, with the unpredictable unpredictability of time travel. It feels like a storyline that came right off the pages of a comic book, and perhaps that is what Marvel is banking on.
While those are some major twists, the series has created less discussion online than expected. Marvel projects tend to dominate social media, and Eyes of Wakanda arrived with little to no fanfare. Some viewers say the crowded schedule of the MCU has left fans too stretched with too many stories to keep track of. Others believe that Marvel kept a deliberately low profile in promoting this show to plant seeds for future blockbuster events without drawing too much attention to it too soon.
Seemingly obvious questions arise with the introduction of a sixth Black Panther into the MCU. Is Marvel only adding more and richer layers into the legacy of these characters, or is it risking audience burnout? T’Challa legacy, Shuri legacy, and other temporary bearers of the mantle each brought their own strengths, however, this future-born warrior now adds a whole new flavor. That may or may not dilute the returning lifeblood of the narrative.
Marvel dropped all four episodes of Eyes of Wakanda at once, and did not announce a second season. The story had no confirmed continuation, and now it raises fan questions about whether “The Last Panther” will still return. The MCU often takes what can appear to be improbable or small characters or storylines, and makes them huge crossover parts of future legendary events, so there is still a good chance she shows up again.
For the time being, the questions remain. Who is this warrior from the 24th century? How will her storyline save her people attach to the Avengers, the overall timeline of the MCU, or the ongoing multiverse saga? And most importantly, are audiences going to accept yet another Black Panther, or has the franchise’s crown jewel started to lose its luster?
Whether Eyes of Wakanda becomes a sleeper hit or smoothly walks in the closed catalog of Marvel, once again Marvel has shown its willingness to take a creative leap of faith. Historically speaking, the most unheard of storylines often spearhead the next phase of the MCU. If that holds true, “The Last Panther” may still play a bigger role than anyone thinks.
