Black Panther 2 Reportedly Filming at Tony Stark-Connected Location
Not much is known about the sequel to Black Panther, aside from Namor potentially being the villain, along with a potential conflict between Wakanda and Europe. It's also unlikely that fans will see a return of Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger, but the actor has said he's more than willing to return for the right reasons.
Filming for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is about to begin with plans already made to shoot in Worcester, Massachusetts this summer. In addition, the plan is to shoot scenes in the Boston suburbs and even the Worcester Police Department headquarters.
Another famous location production plans to shoot at actually has ties to multiple characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
AN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
According to Lizzie Hill of The Cosmic Circus, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is planning to film around and possibly inside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.
Hill was unable to confirm any filming dates or whether production would be allowed on campus grounds as of yet. MIT often doesn't allow production companies to film on campus aside from formal interviews, but Hill learned that an exception is being considered for this production.
Hill also reiterates that there are plans to film exterior scenes around and near MIT as well.
MIT ALUMNI IN THE MCU
As Lizzie Hill questions in her own report, there are some relevant possibilities for why MIT will be featured in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In the MCU, there are indeed several characters that are alumni of the institution.
The most notable characters among them are Tony Stark, James Rhodes, and Erik Stevens, aka Killmonger. Yes, T'Challa's long-lost cousin graduated from MIT, briefly mentioned by Everett Ross in Black Panther.
"Eric Stevens. Graduated from Annapolis age 19. MIT for grad school."
— Everett Ross, Black Panther (2018)
Tony Stark himself appeared as a guest speaker at the university in Captain America: Civil War, where he announced his September Foundation Grant program for students. The scene in question was actually shot in Atlanta, Georgia, so Marvel Studios may want its inclusion to feel more authentic by filming on location.
As Hill speculated, Wakanda Forever could include flashback sequences to when Killmonger had attended MIT, but that would seem inexplicable to include in a film where he should still be dead. Another possibility for a flashback sequence is seeing an adolescent Tony Stark working on advanced technology at the university, but this is also just idle speculation.
James Rhodes graduated from MIT alongside Stark, but he isn't an engineering genius like his deceased best friend. So, there isn't any present explanation in the MCU for why MIT would appear in this Black Panther sequel.
Looking to the future, there is actually a rather blatant and obvious reason why the film will visit MIT, and that answer is Riri Williams.
Dominique Thorne was announced to be playing the character in December and will star in her own series, Ironheart - a series that won't enter production for at least another year. Marvel Studios must have had a reason to cast her so early and the only explanation is that she'll make an appearance elsewhere in the MCU before her own show.
Additionally, at the end of Black Panther, it was established that T'Challa began founding multiple Wakandan International Outreach Centers across the world and appointing Shuri as the head of science and information exchange.
"Nakia will oversee the social outreach. And you will spearhead the science and information exchange."
— T'Challa to Shuri, Black Panther (2018)
Shuri could likely reach out to Riri, who would be attending MIT as a student or even a grad student, about a piece of technology she has created. The two have actually butted heads in the comics before, so it has roots in the comics, no matter how recent.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently scheduled to release in theaters on July 8, 2022.
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