Character Odds To Appear In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Marvel and Disney betting markets have been inundated for the past several weeks now, and that’s because the November 11th release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has fans of the culturally iconic comic series on edge with anticipation; and, with the same sorts of questions on our lips here at Bodog, Black Panther betting is also firmly in our sights. And yes – it looks spectacular.
Much of the finer detail of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is being kept a closely guarded secret, opening the door for a lot of speculation about the film. Unlike the Bodog macro questions, such as who will be the next Superman, this one’s for the legion of fans who relish the opportunity to take a deep-dive into Black Panther’s betting opportunities.
If you enjoy online betting, Bodog puts the odds on your side by taking a scalpel to the world of Wakanda to deduce which Marvel characters could appear in the upcoming film before it hits the big screen in November.
The Story So Far
The popular Stan Lee comic first made it onto the big screen in 2018 with Chadwick Boseman stepping up to play the title role. And so we met T’Challa, the King of Wakanda, who, through the ingestion of a heart-shaped herb, also became the Black Panther.
Shortly after ascending to the throne following the death of his father, T’Challa finds himself drawn into a fight to save his kingdom and the world.
As to be expected from a superhero movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther was a huge success, generating more than US$1.3 billion at the box office. Suffice to say, a sequel was inevitable.
For the very worst of reasons, the sequel’s plot changed course after the shocking and untimely passing of Boseman, who, at just 43, had been fighting on two battlefronts; the fictional one of Wakanda, in an intensely demanding role to which the talented actor gave his all, and the silent battle to push through a cancer diagnosis that proved to be fatal, leaving not just his audience, but even his closest colleagues bereaved and in disbelief.
As a mark of respect, Marvel chose not to recast T’Challa, and the next movie in the franchise will reportedly focus on the Wakandan people’s fight to protect their country following the death of their King, while the audience continues to celebrate the brilliant actor who brought him to life.
Doctor Doom -1100
With odds of -1100, it seems a pretty safe bet to say that Doctor Doom is going to make an appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Doctor Doom is the archenemy of the Fantastic Four, but he’s also an historical adversary of almost all of Marvel’s superheroes, including Black Panther.
In the comic mini-series Doomwar, Doctor Doom formed an alliance with a group looking to take control of Wakanda, culminating in a fight between him and T’Challa.
Due to copyright issues, he has yet to appear in any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but those restrictions have been resolved, so many are predicting Doctor Doom’s debut to take place in the new Black Panther movie.
Should he appear, it’s very possible that the entire plot is based on the events depicted in Doomwar.
Storm +150
Storm is another character that has yet to appear in the MCU. However, that could very well change in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
For starters, Storm’s heritage makes her the perfect fit for the film which takes place in a fictional African country. Storm is described in the comics as descending from African witches and whose mother was a tribal princess from Kenya.
The mutant human has the ability to control the weather, hence the name, and eventually joins the X-Men.
It’s more than just African heritage that makes Storm a strong favourite to appear in the new movie. She also married T’Challa, so given that the plot is that the king has died, she could be an elevated feature.
On top of that, Michaela Coel, a black actress from London, has reportedly been cast for the film already, though Marvel remains tight-lipped about her role.
Achebe +200
Achebe is a supervillain that made his first appearance in Black Panther Vol. 3, issue #3, back in 1999. He has yet to appear in a Marvel movie but is a good contender for a spot in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Perhaps the biggest reason for this is the fact that his creator, Christopher Priest, described Achebe as the “Joker to Black Panther’s Batman”. And just like the Joker, Achebe’s background is vague though he is assumed to be from Ghudaza, an African nation that’s not too far from Wakanda.
There had been some speculation that Michael B. Jordan would be playing Achebe before it was confirmed he would be N’Jadaka.
If Doctor Doom is going to be the main villain in the new film, then there may not be room for Achebe to appear, but it’s still a possibility.
Baron Zemo +350
Baron Zemo is the name given to two separate characters in the Marvel comics: Heinrich Zemo and his son Helmut. The two have mostly appeared as the enemies of the Avengers and Captain America with only a couple of connections to Black Panther.
On both occasions, Baron Zemo was depicted as Helmut rather than his father. The first was in a TV episode of Avengers Assemble, which saw Helmut attempting to steal a Wakandan artefact before being thwarted by Black Panther and Ant-Man.
The second occurred in another few episodes of the show, in which Black Panther and Helmut Zemo team up to destroy the Shadow Council. This makes Zemo a contender, albeit not as strong as the others.
The Baron most recently appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a show broadcast on Disney+. We last saw him early last year, at which point he was still in prison, which means he can’t be ruled out as a candidate for the new Black Panther film.
King Cadaver +700
King Cadaver is another of Black Panther’s enemies and a decent contender for Black Panther betting.
In the comics, King Cadaver donned a costume to disguise himself as a human and managed to secure a job as the Chief of Mining in Wakanda, a role he used to increase the production of vibranium and use it for his own gain.
The plan wouldn’t last too long as it resulted in several natural disasters which revealed King Cadaver’s presence to Black Panther, culminating in him being defeated by the hero before managing to escape.
King Cadaver would make a good enemy to base the plot around, but with odds of +700, it doesn’t seem as likely as the others.
There are still a few months to go before we get to enjoy Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Now is the best time to make your predictions and fill out your slips for Disney betting on who will appear in the movie. Once you’re done, get ready to join Bodog for another brilliant MCU production.