The War for Wakanda expansion for Marvel's Avengers features some similar visuals to the MCU, as Wakanda’s design and character models like Shuri and Klaue are very similar to the Black Panther movie. However, it seems like War for Wakanda’s parallels to the big screen version of Black Panther’s world end there, as Crystal Dynamics seems determined to put its own spin on Wakanda’s most important characters.
During an interview with Game Rant, Crystal Dynamics writer Hannah MacLeod and senior game designer Scott Walters provided several interesting tidbits about the Marvel's Avengers DLC and its creation. Some of the most surprising pieces of info were from MacLeod, as she highlighted how exactly characters like T’Challa and Shuri differ from the versions that fans may already know. With the former already having a long reign as king, and the latter having wanted to be Black Panther herself, there are some noteworthy changes.
War for Wakanda’s T’Challa: A More Experienced King
The late Chadwick Boseman’s performances as Black Panther showcased a young and inexperienced ruler. Players saw him lose his father, be properly crowned as Black Panther, and endure his very first struggles in the new position. Boseman played the part incredibly well, with viewers able to grow attached to the young king as the years passed. However, War for Wakanda’s take on T’Challa will be a fair bit different from what moviegoers are used to.
Like other Marvel’s Avengers characters, Crystal Dynamics looked to the comics for inspiration when it came to T’Challa’s creation. With Black Panther having spent years on the throne in the books, he has become somewhat arrogant and proud. According to MacLeod, that shows clearly in the game, with Crystal Dynamics’ Black Panther flaunting his time on top.
“We really wanted to capture a version of Black Panther who’s older, who’s more experienced in the role that he’s in. The movies really focus on more of an origin story for him, where he’s sort of a new leader, but in the majority of the comics… T’Challa’s been in this role for a while. Focusing on an older version of the character let us pull from a lot of different spaces. One of the other things that might surprise people is T’Challa’s kind of arrogant. He’s earned the right to be. He’s incredibly intelligent, he’s a scientist in his own right, he upgrades his own suits, he’s prepared for everything; including his friends potentially turning on him. He trains to be able to fight his friends.”
T’Challa’s Batman-like approach to friendship is interesting, as his willingness to plan for the worst and doubt his companions is very reminiscent of the DC character. The fact that this Black Panther customizes his own suit and makes some of his own tech is also worth noting, as this once again separates him from his MCU counterpart. With T’Challa relying on Shuri for his gadgets in the movies, the in-game version seems to be presented as smarter and more hands-on when it comes to his gear.
War for Wakanda’s Shuri: An Aspiring Black Panther
In the MCU, Shuri displays plenty of humor, and fans can expect that same trait to be seen in the game. However, while her competitiveness with T’Challa is only used as a joke in the films, it has another layer to it in the game. As pointed out by MacLeod, this is because Shuri wanted to become Black Panther at some point. However, T’Challa ended up beating her to the throne.
“Shuri is an amalgamation in our game of a lot of different sources. She’s so interesting. She’s definitely got some of that youth and cheekiness that she shows in the movie, but in the comics, she wanted to face off with her uncle and become Black Panther. Her plan was to challenge their uncle, and then T’Challa got there first. It was really interesting to explore Shuri’s desire for leadership and her belief in her ability to do so. Her character has a bit more authority in our game than you may have seen before.”
Shuri has taken on the role in the Black Panther comics, meaning that it would not be out of the realm of possibility for her to do the same in the game. With rumors already spreading about Shuri taking on the Black Panther role in the MCU due to the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, perhaps she could take on this position in Marvel's Avengers at some point. While MacLeod was not willing to say much about this possibility, the door does seem to be left open.
“I would say it’s never out of the question…”
If Shuri does eventually become queen, she could also be another playable character in Marvel’s Avengers. Much like how Kate Bishop and Hawkeye have similar tools at their disposal but play very differently, Shuri could serve as an excellent echo character for those that love T'Challa's playstyle. While this is purely speculation, it would obviously be cool to see, though War for Wakanda’s take on Shuri sounds exciting either way.
War for Wakanda’s Other Major Characters
A few other characters were highlighted, such as the fierce Okoye. While she still leads the Dora Milaje and fights primarily with a spear, her loyalty to the Black Panther does not mean she is a mindless soldier. As pointed out by MacLeod, she will tell T’Challa when she agrees or disagrees with his decision, with the mutual respect between the two ensuring that her opinion is taken seriously.
“I think my favorite thing about Okoye is, though she respects the role of Black Panther and believes in the traditions behind it, she’s willing to speak up if she isn’t in 100% agreement with T’Challa’s choices. He respects her enough that she can have a voice in Wakandan Policy and things like that.”
MacLeod also mentioned a character being introduced that was not seen in the MCU at all, but can best be compared to Forest Whitaker’s Zuri from the Black Panther movie. An incredibly old figure with first-hand knowledge on the past century of Wakanda’s history, Zawavari is one of the wisest people in the nation.
“We also have some characters that were only from the comics that we pulled in; my favorite being Zawavari, who is this Wakandan sorcerer voiced by Dave Fennoy. He’s amazing. Even more than Okoye, he respects the position of Black Panther, but he’s over 100 years old. So he’s seen a lot of Black Panthers fall. With T’Challa he’s like ‘I’ve seen you in diapers, it’s sweet that you think you’re important now.’ It allows there to be conflict and show that not all of Wakanda bows before the Black Panther.”
With Marvel’s Avengers’ version of Klaue also being a more formidable threat, and even shown to have some kind of massive final form in War for Wakanda’s E3 trailer, it seems like a lot of effort has gone into the stories of Black Panther, his allies, and his adversary. As such, the expansion’s characters might just end up being its greatest strength.
Marvel’s Avengers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.