The Black Panther suit from MCU vibranium technology of the Black Panther suits constantly evolves while also retaining a traditional look and expressing the identity of the person who wears them.
Captain America: Civil War marked the first time Marvel fans saw T'Challa's Black Panther suit. It had a simple yet menacing design, which was a sleeker silver variation of his father's suit, shown in 2018's Black Panther. Then, the MCU's first Black Panther solo installment gave T'Challa's second suit a major overhaul with the ability to harness kinetic energy and transform it into powerful shockwaves. In the same movie, Erik Killmonger received his own Black Panther armor, which he modified to look like a golden jaguar.
T'Challa's death paves the way for another Wakandan warrior to take up the Black Panther mantle, and a brand-new suit naturally comes with it. This updated gear honors many of the previous Black Panthers, but it also differs a lot from them. From the mask to the colors and its special capabilities, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever makes several changes and additions to the traditional Black Panther suit.
Black Panther's New Mask
Black Panther's mask in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is more akin to T'Challa's helmet in Captain America: Civil War than the one in 2018's Black Panther. The ears are short and round, the snout is not as pronounced, and the eyes are narrow and covered by a layer of silver vibranium — all of which resemble T'Challa's look during his participation in the fight over the MCU's Sokovia Accords. Black Panther's mask in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ditches the lines on the forehead and nose from T'Challa's first suit in favor of smoother streaks of silver and gold around the face. However, the most obvious change may be the gold above the eyes, inside the ears, and on the top of the head, as well as the diamond shape and the silver spots on the forehead — all of which help define the identity of T'Challa's successor.
Shuri's Face Paint On the New Black Panther Suit
The subtle visual clues from the new Black Panther suit could also reveal the identity of Wakanda's new protector. For instance, the spots on the Black Panther mask in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are strong evidence that Shuri is the new Black Panther, as they are laid out in a strikingly similar pattern to Shuri's face paint: while/silver dots arranged in four diagonal columns and two rows that sit above her eyes. However, there are slightly fewer dots in the new Black Panther mask since they're a little bigger, and neither the vertical line under her lower lip nor the row of dots below her eyes are present in the female Black Panther's mask.
Black Panther's Gold Highlights
One especially meaningful detail in the Black Panther suit from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the addition of golden highlights. The gold color is a trademark of King T'Chaka's suit, and it is also present in the gear Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger stole in Black Panther. Considering the conflicting values these two notorious Wakandan characters stood for, the mix of gold and silver seems to convey a reconciliation of Wakanda's history, as if it acknowledged the kingdom's highs and lows. Coupled with Shuri's face paint and the influence of T'Challa's first mask (which Queen Ramonda brings to T'Challa's funeral), it's clear that the female Black Panther embodies all the kings that came before her with a sense of unity at a point when the Wakandan kingdom could come to an end.
Black Panther's Energy Absorption Abilities
The ability to transform kinetic energy into powerful shockwaves, which was designed by Shuri in 2018's Black Panther, returns once again in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But this time, it isn't as extravagant as it was during T'Challa's fight against Killmonger in Black Panther or against Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Wakanda Forever's Black Panther suit still lights up when it activates, but the purple light no longer stays on the suit's s. Instead, it travels across the 's body and promptly fades away, at least until the chooses to let the energy out.
Black Panther's Gauntlets
Another nod at Shuri's identity in the new Black Panther suit is the arm bands. These panther-shaped bracelets sport a design that's extremely close to Shuri's gauntlets from Black Panther, which she used to shoot powerful blasts of energy. Erik Killmonger destroyed Shuri's gauntlets in the Black Panther final battle, but they returned in Avengers: Endgame during the battle against Thanos' army. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the arm bands are far less bulky, and they don't seem like arm-mounted guns but decorative symbols instead. Shuri's weapon of choice would help against the ridiculously powerful Namor, but they would likely become an obstacle in combat for the new Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
