Michael B. Jordan’s Eric Stevens aka Killmonger is lifeless in the MCU, however, there are ways that he could be used again in Black Panther 2. When Black Panther was initially released in 2018 to become a huge box office hit, it had been flooded with positive reviews. A major element in that was Michael B. Jordan’s performance as Killmonger, who had been hailed as the character with the best villain arc in the MCU.
For many years, there has been a perception that Marvel has a significant villain difficulty. Many of them, like Thor: The Dark World’s Malekith, Doctor Strange’s Kaecilius, Avengers: Age of Ultron’s titular antagonist, along with Iron Man 2’s Whiplash, were believed underwhelming. One character who averted this blot was Black Panther’s Killmonger, who obtained across-the-board praise. Despite being ruthless in his pursuit of the throne of Wakanda, Killmonger was thought of as a sympathetic figure who had good reasons for feeling he was wronged by T’Challa’s kingdom. It helped make him into a character that viewers could comprehend on a profound level.
While villains such as Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Thanos (Josh Brolin) have experienced their stories extended beyond one movie, Killmonger’s MCU journey concluded with just one film. Though Black Panther succeeded in telling an entire story with Killmonger, there’s still a large number of fans who want him to be used again. Rumors are persisting that he may somehow return into play in Black Panther 2. No matter whether that should happen, it’s at least possible that he to be seen again. Killmonger making an appearance in the 2022 film wouldn’t indicate the first time that the MCU has either brought back or discovered another way to utilize a fan-favorite character. Here is every concept on how Killmonger can re-enter the picture in Black Panther 2.
After Black Panther, Eric was mortally wounded during the final battle with T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman). After being permitted to watch the sunset from his dying moments, he started to Black Panther, “Bury me at the sea with my ancestors who jumped from the ships. Because they knew death was better than bondage.” Many are thinking that”bury me at the sea ” is particularly meaningful, which may lead to him returning to Black Panther 2. The theory behind this is that the best candidate for the sequel’s most important antagonist is Namor the Sub-Mariner, a Marvel Comics anti-hero who dwells in the underwater kingdom of Atlantis.
The concept connecting Killmonger into the Avenging Son is that the Atlanteans will locate Killmonger’s body in the ocean and bring it to Namor, who will have Killmonger revived to existence. The version of this Sub-Mariner that exists in Marvel Comics doesn’t have the supernatural powers necessary for such a feat, but it’s possible that anyone is acting as Atlantis’ high priest may bring him back with a ritual or a mystical artifact. Magic will exist in Atlantis, and because it has become widespread in recent Marvel movies as well, it might be integrated into the MCU’s take on Namor’s homeland.
Perhaps the biggest problem with this theory is that the matter of motivation. It’s hard to state why Namor and the Atlanteans would want to bring a surfacer just like Killmonger back to life. Eric doesn’t hold any electricity in Wakanda anymore, so he might not big support for their cause if their aim is warfare. But, Namor could still see potential in him. He can feel that because Eric was king (albeit briefly), he can cause a major dispute that could weaken Wakanda enough for them to attack. This could make an interesting arc for Killmonger since it might put him in a position where he may need to side with the heroes.
The Atlanteans aren’t the only characters who could undo Eric’s death. In Black Panther comics, Wakanda needed a Resurrection Altar which Killmonger was used to reanimate dead soldiers for his army. It also served the purpose of resurrecting Killmonger himself. Black Panther 2 could go down the same road, although the Wakandans were not exactly endeared to him throughout the film. There may be a character or two who thinks that Wakanda should turn its attention back to its prior king now that T’Challa won’t be around.
The simplest way to use any dead character is simply to get them to show up in flashbacks. Of course, it’s the least exciting option, but it’s 1 way to provide Killmonger more screen time in the MCU. The problem, however, is that in the event of Jordan’s personality, a lack of relevancy makes it difficult for them to be worked into the story. Which character could be experiencing a memory using Killmonger within it? As someone who grew up in the United States, he didn’t start having connections with all the other characters before the placing of Black Panther. Also, Killmonger’s story has already been told, and there might be anything in his past that has to be researched. Perhaps the only way a Killmonger flashback would believe appropriate in the sequel is whether Black Panther 2’s villain is a person who crossed paths with Eric at a certain stage in his past.
Another way of getting Killmonger back is by using the concept of the multiverse, which is one of the fundamental notions within Phase 4. The existence of other timelines is essential to the plots of Spider-Man 3, Loki, Doctor Strange from the Multiverse of Madness, and maybe Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It may be that Black Panther two will also invoke this plot device. If so, the film could reveal a deadline where Killmonger still lives. It may be that in a different model of Wakanda’s background, Killmonger was never robbed of the throne, or T’Challa never defeated him. While theoretically, this scenario is possible, there is no evidence so far that Black Panther two will be a multiverse story. For the time being, the movie introducing an alternate world Killmonger seems improbable.
The explanation for Killmonger’s return that feels that the most plausible is that he appears via the Astral Plane. With the Heart-Shaped Herb, both T’Challa and Eric have been able to socialize with lifeless characters. If a Black Panther 2 character were to absorb the Heart-Shaped Herb, they could speak with Killmonger. A scene where he has to share his ideas on anything battle the key protagonists are dealing with maybe the best way Black Panther two can use Killmonger without destroying his end from the first picture.