Ever since the Marvel presentation at San Diego Comic-Con debuted the first trailer for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” fans have been buzzing with theories about who they believe steps into the panther suit. The long-awaited sequel to Marvel’s first Oscar-nominated movie, which premiered Nov. 11, confirms the loss of King T’Challa following the real-life death of Chadwick Boseman and finally answers the big question: who is the new Black Panther?
Fans first theorized that the impossible-to-miss image at the end of “Wakanda Forever”‘s trailer of someone in the Black Panther suit was a woman, though the hero’s identity remained a mystery for obvious reasons. For those who keep up, the Marvel comics have a pretty clear answer, but since the movies haven’t always stayed true to those stories, it’s still worth debunking a few myths. Read ahead for a rundown of the top fan theories plus the true identity of the new Black Panther.