Ryan Coogler’s original plan for Val in Black Panther 2 would have made more sense

During a conversation with New York Times, Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole talk about the original idea for a Black Panther sequel. They revealed that the film takes place shortly after The Flash, when T’Challa (Boseman) first meets the son he had with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). The sequel will appear three years later, when T’Challa and Nakia become the parents of a boy. From what Coogler described, it seems that the sequel was heavily focused on the king of Wakanda who was trying his best to be a good father. After spending time with the child during a summer ritual, the threat manifested itself, causing the King of Wakanda to return as the Black Panther, with his young son joining him on a mission.

What threat made T’Challa return to the fight?

Coogler confirmed to the publication that Namor (Huerta) was still the film’s villain in the original draft. Interestingly, Val (Louis-Dreyfus) played a more active role in the original idea for the sequel. “Basically, it was a three-way conflict between Wakanda, the US, and Talokan,” Coogler said. “But it was all mostly from a child’s point of view.”

Val was first introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, although it wasn’t until after the credits of Black Widow that her nefarious intentions became known. In appearance, she forces a grieving Elena (Florence Pugh) to kill Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to “avenge” the death of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). Val is set to be a key force as the Marvel Cinematic Universe enters its fifth phase. When asked if the inclusion of the character in Wakanda Forever was a committee decision, Coogler and Cole responded that Val had more screen time in the original script.