Forest Whitaker shares ideas on how Zuri could come back for the Black Panther sequel. It’s safe to say that with the massive amount of money and the glowing reviews that the Ryan Coogler-directed/written film has earned, a follow-up is already in the cards. And while that is still years’ away from happening, the veteran actor is already floating around the possibility of his involvement in it, despite his character dying in the original movie.

Zuri’s death was emotional but quick. After Killmonger took him out, we barely had any chance to grieve him as the focus quickly shifted to the possibility that T’Challa might be next. Even as the film came to a close, what happened to his body was never talked about, nor his tragic death. Those who are bummed out by this can now find hope that Zuri might return, as Whitaker has an idea of how it could happen that’s actually pretty nifty.

Speaking with ET at the Los Angeles premiere of his new film, The Forgiven, the Academy Award-winning actor spoke briefly about his role and experience working in Black Panther and how he thinks Zuri can return from the dead in the Marvel franchise’s sequel. Mining inspiration from Star Wars, he cited Obi-Wan Kenobi’s continued mentorship on Luke even after he passed on as a possible scenario. Interestingly, the Jedi Master has been used to describe Zuri’s character long before the movie came out.

Whitaker’s idea makes sense, but with the heart-shaped herb supposedly all gone, it’s unclear how T’Challa will once again visit the ancestral plane. Fans will recall that after Killmonger’s spiritual ceremony, he commanded that all the herbs be burned, with Nakia only able to sneak one out for T’Challa. Perhaps there is another way to connect with Black Panther’s land of the dead, one that involves the Soul Gem, which is rumored to be in Wakanda. That’s of course if Thanos isn’t able to get it alongside the other five remaining stones in Avengers: Infinity War and its still-untitled sequel.

“I guess I would be like an Obi-Wan Kenobi, you know, who comes back, he talks from the ancestral plane to give advice to T’Challa. Chadwick’s amazing in the film. Ryan Coogler’s done such an amazing job, so proud to be in it.”

Whether Zuri or other deceased Wakandans return remains to be seen, but Kevin Feige recently assured fans that Black Panther still has many stories left to tell. Lest fans forget, one of the big action set pieces in Infinity War is set in Wakanda, so it’s not even clear what the state of the country will be after the events of the twin Avengers sequels. Marvel Studios somehow bringing back some of the Wakandan elders, and maybe even Killmonger (considering that everybody dug Michael B. Jordan in the role) is a possibility. With how Wakandans are deeply connected with their ancestors, further incorporating the ancestral plane is a potentially great way to bring all these brilliant actors like Whitaker, John Kani, and Sterling K. Brown back into the narrative.

MORE: Black Panther Crosses $1 Billion at Global Box Office

Source: ET

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