AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY and SECRET WARS Rumor May Reveal a Major BLACK PANTHER 3 Twist

Wakanda and Talokan managed to stop trying to destroy each other by the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but that uneasy peace may be headed for one hell of a stress test.

A new rumor surrounding Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars suggests that something major could happen to Namor during Marvel’s upcoming Multiverse Saga finale, and the consequences may carry directly into Black Panther 3.

We still don’t know what story Ryan Coogler has planned for the third Black Panther movie, but if this latest information is accurate, Namor’s next move could create a serious problem for Wakanda, Talokan, and Shuri.

According to The Cosmic Circus, Namor could find himself “forced” to yield to another ruler while trying to protect his people. That’s a pretty interesting position to put Namor in.

Everything we’ve seen from the character so far tells us that surrender isn’t exactly part of his personality. Namor views himself as the protector and ruler of Talokan, and almost every major decision he made in Wakanda Forever came from his determination to keep his civilization safe from the surface world.

If circumstances in Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars become dangerous enough that Namor willingly bends the knee to another ruler, things have gone seriously wrong.

Doctor Doom immediately becomes the obvious person to consider. Doom is expected to pose an enormous threat in the next two Avengers movies, and Wakanda and Talokan could potentially find themselves fighting on the same side against him.

But if Namor is eventually pushed into making a deal or submitting to someone for Talokan’s survival, Shuri may not see his decision the same way he does.

That could crack open the fragile relationship established between their kingdoms. Wakanda Forever introduced Talokan as a powerful underwater civilization determined to remain hidden from the rest of the world.

Namor initially saw Wakanda as a potential ally, but after Shuri refused to support his plans against the surface world, the two nations went to war.

Their conflict became intensely personal, especially after Namor killed Queen Ramonda. Shuri eventually defeated him but chose not to kill him, recognizing that endless retaliation would only lead to more death.

The two leaders reached an uneasy understanding, creating the possibility that Wakanda and Talokan could become allies. Namor, however, had his own reasons for accepting that arrangement. He believed Wakanda would eventually need Talokan when the rest of the world came after its vibranium.

Throw Doctor Doom and a multiversal catastrophe into that already complicated relationship, and things could get messy fast.

Namor yielding to another ruler to save Talokan could be completely understandable from his perspective while still looking like a betrayal to Shuri. It could also divide Talokan itself. A civilization that views Namor as its god-king might not easily accept seeing him submit to someone else, regardless of why he does it.

That gives Coogler plenty of interesting material to explore in Black Panther 3. Marvel has already confirmed that Coogler will return to direct the sequel, with Letitia Wright expected back as Shuri and Winston Duke returning as M’Baku.

There could also be another major piece entering the Wakandan story. David Jonsson has been confirmed to play T’Challa II, the son of T’Challa, who was played by Chadwick Boseman.

Shuri took on the Black Panther mantle in Wakanda Forever, but the introduction of T’Challa II gives Marvel another path for the future of the Black Panther legacy. Exactly how that develops remains one of the biggest questions surrounding the sequel.

And now Namor may be another major piece of that story. If the events of Doomsday and Secret Wars fundamentally change his standing as Talokan’s ruler, Black Panther 3 could pick up with both civilizations dealing with the fallout.

Rather than simply repeating the Wakanda-versus-Talokan conflict from the previous movie, Coogler could explore what happens when an alliance built out of necessity is tested by an impossible decision.

It would also make Black Panther 3 feel like a genuine continuation of the Multiverse Saga instead of a mostly separate adventure happening afterward.

Of course, this is still a rumor, and Marvel hasn’t revealed exactly what happens to Namor across the next two Avengers movies. But the idea of him being forced to yield raises some big questions about what kind of condition Talokan will be in when we see it again.

Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027, with Black Panther 3 following roughly a year later on December 15, 2028.

If Namor really does make a choice that changes his relationship with Wakanda, Marvel may already be planting the seeds for the next major conflict in the Black Panther franchise.

And after everything Shuri and Namor went through to reach their fragile peace, watching that relationship fall apart again could make Black Panther 3 a very interesting chapter for both Wakanda and Talokan.