Why Black Panther 2 Should Be Wakanda Versus The Avengers
The events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame may well have turned the nation of Wakanda against the Avengers, setting up an exciting potential conflict for Black Panther 2. This isn't something that is readily apparent yet, as much of the aftermath of the epic battles and events that took place in the climactic closing films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 3 has thus far been overlooked. Spider-Man's five-year disappearance was given far less focus than expected in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and the impact of both all the people lost in the Snap returning and Iron Man and Captain America passing away also received perhaps less attention than initially anticipated - with the exception of the EDITH glasses Tony left for Peter.
Hopefully this is something that Phase 4 makes sure to address, both to provide some closure to Phase 3's story arc, and because the aftershocks of the Snap and the later battle with Thanos could have some interesting effects on how the MCU shapes itself in the coming years. While the most obvious change is how the hero community will transform after losing Iron Man and Captain America, there are also some potential other developments that may be less readily apparent.
For example, although the people of Wakanda are no doubt aware their fighting prowess and technology were vital in the last stand against Thanos, the way the Avengers used Wakanda as their battleground in Avengers: Infinity War may have left a bitter taste. It goes without saying that Wakanda was massively damaged by the battle, and it seems decidedly unlikely that any of the Avengers provided financial or physical assistance with the rebuilding of what was lost. The debate over whether heroes should be controlled by governments was already something that had come into question via Captain America: Civil War, and Wakanda may now be asking its own hard questions about the Avengers' collateral damage.
There is something profoundly disconcerting about the fact that the MCU's heroes have inadvertently used Wakanda's resources and then had nary a second thought about the sacrifices the place and its people had made. Vision being brought to Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War made the country a target for Thanos' army, and even more Wakandans lost their lives in the final battle of Avengers: Endgame. A key conflict in Black Panther was the question of whether Wakanda should expose itself to the world and share its knowledge and technology, or whether doing so would put the Wakandan people at risk. For those who argued the latter, the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame will only have solidified their views.
Not only could this bring about more internal conflict in Wakanda, there's also a decent chance it could see the Avengers regarded as enemies of the country, especially given neither Iron Man nor Captain America are around to be the peacemakers they once served as. With the current formation of the Avengers, it's hard to see anyone who could effectively handle the delicate matter of repairing relations with Wakanda, as the only person shown to have both spent time in the country and have formed some positive bonds there is Bucky - who probably isn't enough of a diplomat to sort matters by himself.
After the dust from Endgame has settled, it's likely that the matter of the Avengers' less-than-spotless record will be brought up once again, and their relative disregard for Wakanda is surely something that could factor into that. Since Black Panther 2 is supposed to focus more tightly on Wakanda, it makes sense to explore how the various MCU conflicts they've been involved in has affected the nation, and potentially galvanized the isolationist views of many within it.