A new Black Panther spinoff series is officially in development at Marvel Studios. Eyes of Wakanda is coming to Disney+ soon and will expand both the Black Panther franchise and Marvel’s animation division.
During a screening of What If…? season 2, Marvel gave viewers some insight into the studio’s animated future. Since Disney first began producing Marvel original shows for Disney+, it has only released one animated series, What If…? However, the show’s critical acclaim shows the potential that Marvel Studios’ animated projects have. As a result, the studio has three animated shows on its slate—Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (formerly Spider-Man: Freshman Year), X-Men ’97, and Eyes of Wakanda. Although viewers already knew about the first two projects, Eyes of Wakanda came as a surprise.
It was previously announced that Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler was working on a Disney+ show, rumored to be an Okoye-led series. However, it’s not clear at the moment if Eyes of Wakanda is that project or something else. Here’s what we do know about the series so far.
What to expect from Eyes of Wakanda
Eyes of Wakanda does not have an official release date, but it will arrive on Disney+ sometime in 2024. The show’s official description reads, “Throughout Wakandan history, brave warriors have been tasked to travel the world retrieving dangerous vibranium artifacts. This is their story.” Unfortunately, few other details have been released. Given that it’s about “Wakandan history,” though, it may focus on the ancestors of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Shuri (Letitia Wright), and other characters we’ve become acquainted with in the MCU.
It’s difficult to say how far into the past this show will go. However, diving into Wakanda’s history opens lots of possibilities. For example, we could learn more about T’Challa’s and Shuri’s parents or the origins of some of the Dora Milaje members. The show’s premise could also work as an anthology series, with each episode featuring different warriors at different points in time. For now, it’s unclear if it’s an anthology series like What If…? or will have an ongoing plot.
No castings have been confirmed for Eyes of Wakanda either. With shows like What If…? and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, the majority of the live-action MCU actors did not return to voice their animated counterparts due to scheduling. It’s possible that even if Eyes of Wakanda features some familiar characters, it may not necessarily mean the actors will return. Still, if this series is connected at all to Coogler’s project, Danai Gurira’s return as Okoye is a possibility.
For now, information about Eyes of Wakanda is fairly limited. The fact that Marvel intends to release it next year already suggests that some work on the series must be completed. Hopefully we’ll learn more soon.
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
