Everything You Missed in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had us all in tears. Through the high emotions and copious amounts of tissues, were you able to catch these Easter eggs, references, and hidden secrets?

Chadwick Boseman’s Birthday Memorialized on a License Plate

At the end of the movie, Okoye rescues Everett Ross from imprisonment by breaking him out of a prison transport vehicle. The license plate on that vehicle reads “CB112976”. The CB stands for Chadwick Boseman and 112976 references his birthday, November 29th, 1976.

Shuri Calls on Bast to Save her Brother

The film opens with Shuri stating, “Bast, time is running out” as she desperately tries to recreate the heart-shaped herb. Bast is the goddess that bestowed the Black Panther powers to the first panther, Bashenga. Bast was also an Easter Egg in Thor: Love and Thunder and her bust appeared on Jane’s seat when the trio visited the home of the Gods. Bashenga is also referenced later in Wakanda Forever, when Nakia tells Shuri that if she recreates the heart-shaped herb, it would be the “greatest gift since Bashenga’s discovery.”

T’Challa’s Ceremonial Spear and Shield

During T’Challa’s funeral, the Wakandans laid out his ceremonial spear and shield next to his coffin. Fans might remember the spear and shield from his ceremonial challenge against both M’Baku and Killmonger in the first film.

The Music Reminds Wakandans T’Challa is Always With Them

As T’Challa’s coffin is lifted into the sky, the film plays composer Ludwig Göransson’s “Ancestral Plane” song. This is a reminder to Wakandans that death is not the end, and that T’Challa is joining his ancestors in the Ancestral Plane.

Scott Lang is on His Book Tour

At the beginning of the film, the audience sees a CNN news report regarding Wakanda’s leadership and foreign relations. As Anderson Cooper reads the news, a ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen states that Scott Lang is on tour for his Look Out for the Little Guy autobiography.

M’Baku Proves His People are Vegetarians

Despite wearing animal carcasses on their bodies and having fishermen, M’Baku states in the first Black Panther that his people are vegetarians. He proves this statement in Wakanda Forever by eating a purple carrot.

Collatz Conjecture

On the front of Riri’s dorm room, she has a sign referencing Collatz Conjecture. Collatz Conjetucture is the most famous unsolvable math problem.

Frozen’s Bruni is Memorialized

When Shuri enters Riri’s dorm at MIT, the audience gets a small glimpse into the student’s life. On the back of her door, there’s a sticker of a lizard that looks a lot like Bruni, the salamander from Frozen II.

Riri’s Elephant Statue

Riri has an elephant statue in her dorm room, above the bed. This is likely a callback to the elephants that Shuri and Ramonda watch as Ramonda burns her funeral clothes. In that scene, the three elephants likely represent the bond between Shuri, Ramonda, and T’Challa. The additional elephant statue in Riri’s room could signify her new relationship to the family, and foreshadow Ramonda sacrificing herself and ultimately treating Riri like her own daughter.

Riri’s Chicago Bulls Pillow

Despite going to MIT, Riri is from Chicago and she reps her city with a Chicago Bulls pillow. Eagle-eyed fans can spot the pillow on Riri’s bed when Shuri comes to visit the dorm.

Riri’s Car is Compared to the Millennium Falcon

When attempting to find a way to escape the feds, Okoye tells Riri that her car is a “hunk of junk.” This is a reference to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, when Luke Skywalker calls the Millennium Falcon a “hunk of junk” before flying it for the first time.

Riri’s License Plate

Riri’s license plate reads “EE 0710” and the code remains a mystery. Some fans believe EE could stand for Easter egg and 0710 references Black Panther Vol. 7 #10. This comic is about the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda and includes T’Challa, Nakia, and M’Baku.

The second theory is a bit of a stretch. This theory suggests the E actually represents the number 5, since it’s the fifth letter in the alphabet. According to this theory, the license plate stands for page 5 of issue #5 that was released in October 2007. On this page, Namor is accused of treason. This could hint at what is to come, as Namor yields to the Black Panther and aligns with Wakanda.

W’Kabi was Punished

When Okoye returns to Wakanda without Shuri, Ramonda strips her of her ranking and hints at the whereabouts of Okoye’s husband, W’Kabi. By stating that Okoye can still see him, Ramonda hints that W’Kabi was punished for his treacherous actions during the first film and was banished or imprisoned somewhere in Wakanda.

During an interview, director Ryan Coogler stated that “he’s practically banished, but still in Wakanda’s borders.” The banishment was likely also convenient since W’Kabi actor Daniel Kaluuya was filming Nope during the making of Wakanda Forever.

The Megalodon Throne

Namor’s throne was constructed out of a Megalodon jaw. Since the shark is extinct, it signifies Namor’s long reign and power.

When responding to a fan who spotted the megalodon throne, Wakanda Forever production designer Hannah Beachler stated, “Yes sir it is! And the story of why and the meaning, I can’t wait to share all of that! Always exciting when there’s a new world.”

A Trade Pact with New Asgard

When Valentina Allegra de Fontaine shows up at Everett Ross’ place and accuses him of sharing secrets with the Wakandans, she is watching CNN’s Anderson Cooper. The ticker at the bottom of the screen says something about a “trade pact with New Asgard,” suggesting the new Asgardian home is being recognized by the rest of the world.

M’baku Takes Advice from a Child Who Scoffs at Tradition

When M’baku attempts to console Shuri at her mother’s funeral, she responds by saying, “So now you are keen to hear from a child who scoffs at tradition?” This is a direct callback to the first film, when M’Baku challenges T’Challa during the ritualistic challenge scene. The gorilla king states, ‘We have watched and listened from the mountains! We have watched with disgust as your technological advancements have been overseen by a child who scoffs at tradition!“

Midnight Angel

Despite Okoye’s multiple rejections of Shuri’s new blue Dora Milaje suit, she was destined to wear it. Shuri calls the suit “Midnight Angel,” which is the name of a subset of Dora Milaje and consists of their best warriors. In the comics, the Midnight Angels fought Dr. Doom. They wore non-vibranium armor to avoid Doom’s control.

Shuri Copies Her Brother When She Becomes Black Panther

After Shuri drinks the heart-shaped herb, she hits Okoye’s new Midnight Angel suit and sends it flying across the room. This is a callback to when her brother first learns about his new Black Panther suit. In the beginning of the first movie, Shuri tells her brother to hit the suit and he also sends it flying across the room; however, the suit charges and the next time he hits it, he isn’t so lucky.

Shuri’s Black Panther Suit Pays Homage to Her Family

We were all wondering who would take the Black Panther mantle and now it’s hard not to know – the suit says it all. Shuri’s new Black Panther suit has combines different elements of her family, while adding a touch of Shuri. It mixes the gold and the silver from both T’Challa and Killmonger’s suit and includes a crown at the top to represent her mother. Her suit also has jewels around the eyes, which are similar to the ceremonial white dots Shuri painted on her face during battle and at her mother and brother’s funeral.

Namor’s Name is Pronounced Two Different Ways

Did you notice that Namor’s name is pronounced two different ways in the film? This was done on purpose to signify the way a Mayan speaker would say it, as opposed to someone with a Western accent.

When asked about the pronunciation shifts, Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore said:

“…Nämor, I would say, obviously was given that name, also, by someone in the film. So, it’s not even something that is from him. But there is certainly a way that a Spanish speaker — or even a Mayan speaker — would say Nämor, versus a way that an English speaker — or somebody who is a little more Western in slant — might say Nāmor. And we thought that was just interesting. I mean, it’s a reality that people face, and it felt more genuine than having everybody pronounce it correctly, to be quite honest.”

Imperius Rex

During his fight with Shuri, Namor says, “Imperius Rex.” Most comic fans instantly recognized this as Namor’s battle cry. It roughly translates in English to “Empire King.”

Shuri Doesn’t Let Vengeance Consume Her

After defeating Namor, Shuri gets a vision from her mother in the ancestral plane. Ramonda tells her daughter to “show them who you are” and Shuri tells Namor that they should not let vengeance consume them. This is a callback to T’Challa’s encounter with Zemo in Captain America: Civil War, where the Black Panther says he is done letting vengeance consume him.

Namor Fighting the Black Panther

At the end of the movie, Namora tells Namor that she is disappointed in him for yielding to the Black Panther. While she’s having this discussion, Namor is painting a mural of him fighting a black panther. This painting could foreshadow what is to come.

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Were you able to find any other Easter eggs, hidden references, or secrets in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?