If you’re hoping to see Erik Killmonger in Black Panther 2, don’t get your hopes up just yet.
As most fans of the film know, Killmonger, portrayed by ESSENCE cover star Michael B. Jordan, was seemingly “killed” in battle at the end of Black Panther as T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, stood by his side.
Some have speculated that the villain could return in the sequel since we didn’t necessarily see him die; we just saw him fall. And you know how Marvel films can be.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige recently told BET that the rumors of Killmonger’s return are just that…for now.
It’s “pure rumor and speculation because Mr. [Ryan] Coogler is just only in recent weeks sitting down at his keyboard and beginning to outline the movie,” he explained.
“It’s early. Nothing is set yet in any way that far because Mr. Coogler [is] sitting down and will share it with [Black Panther producer] Nate Moore and myself in coming weeks,” Feige added.
Details on Black Panther 2 remain sparse, but if Killmonger does return for the sequel, we hope there’s a good explanation for bringing him back from the dead.
When Black Panther premiered in theaters last year, it made history becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. It also became the highest-grossing film for a Black director.
The film also scored big with Hollywood, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. It eventually went on to win three Oscars for Best Costume Design, Best Original Score and Best Production Design.