Warning: This post contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The Midnight Angels could have a huge future in the MCU after their introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Phase 4’s final film brought audiences back to Wakanda in the aftermath of King T’Challa’s death. Now ruled by Queen Ramonda, Wakanda is in mourning, while Shuri develops new technologies in an effort to protect a Wakanda without their Black Panther. Along with a synthetic heart-shaped herb, the Wakandan princess designs new armor for the Dora Milaje that gifts its wearer enhanced abilities, and names them the Midnight Angels.
In Marvel Comics, the Midnight Angels are a subdivision of Wakanda’s all-female army, the Dora Milaje, a select few members who form an elite group that take on the more covert missions. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shuri, along with her new Black Panther costume, designs two sets of Midnight Angel armor, gifting one to Okoye after her dismissal from the Dora Milaje, who in turn recruits Aneka to join her as the second member. It seems that Okoye and Aneka will continue to function as the Midnight Angels after Wakanda Forever, and there are several opportunities for the MCU’s newest heroes to appear in upcoming projects.
Ironheart
After debuting in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Dominique Thorne is set to get her own Disney+ series as Riri Williams in Ironheart. Williams battled alongside the Wakandans as Ironheart during Wakanda Forever, forming quick relationships with the likes of Shuri and Okoye after the pair are sent to retrieve her and keep her safe from Namor and his underwater army. Ironheart will release in 2023 and take place after the events of Wakanda Forever, meaning that Williams will have connections in Wakanda that she could call upon in times of trouble, which could include the Midnight Angels.
Dora Milaje forces have already been shown to intervene in other Marvel Studios shows, most notably in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which featured Ayo and a few Dora warriors traveling to Latvia to capture Baron Zemo. There are some big-hitting characters rumored to be appearing in Ironheart, including Mephisto, so it seems likely that Williams would ask for the help of some of Wakanda’s greatest warriors. Perhaps Okoye and Aneka could even bring Williams some vibranium to make her new-and-improved Ironheart suit.
Deadpool 3
Even though Wakandan warriors and the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool, might seem like an unlikely combination, they share an incredibly important comic storyline, 2010’s Doomwar. This storyline follows the mutant Wade Wilson and the Midnight Angels on a mission to kill Doctor Doom after the villain stole all of Wakanda’s vibranium. In fact, this is the storyline in which the Midnight Angels first form in Marvel Comics, so while Wakanda Forever introduced a different origin for the team, the potential has been created for them to go up against Doctor Doom in a future MCU project.
This strange connection between the Midnight Angels and Deadpool could point to Okoye and Aneka appearing in the upcoming Deadpool 3, which will see Deadpool enter the MCU proper from the Fox universe, alongside Hugh Jackman reprising his role as Wolverine. Doctor Doom hasn’t been confirmed for this project, since Doom’s appearance here would probably just further complicate an already complex plot. Even so, with some multiverse antics set to occur, it’s possible that Doctor Doom and the Midnight Angels could make an appearance.
Fantastic Four
If not in Deadpool 3, perhaps the Midnight Angels could tackle Doctor Doom during Marvel Studios’ upcoming Fantastic Four. In Marvel Comics, Doom is the primary antagonist of Marvel’s First Family, going toe-to-toe with the superheroes on many occasions, which was translated into Victor Von Doom being a part of the Fantastic Four’s origin story in both the 2005 film as well as the 2015 flop remake. It could be that Marvel Studios will feature Doctor Doom alongside the Fantastic Four once again, since the two are so intertwined in the comics, opening the door for the Midnight Angels to attempt their mission.
Fantastic Four comes immediately after Deadpool 3 in the MCU’s Phase 6 slate, so the end of the latter project could feature Deadpool and the Midnight Angels being tasked with their mission to eliminate Doctor Doom, leading directly into the MCU’s Fantastic Four debut. Marvel Studios thrive on creating interconnectivity between their projects, and the Fantastic Four and Deadpool are characters that they’ve been itching to integrate into the MCU for years. Teaming them up with the Midnight Angels to battle Doctor Doom would be a great first step.
Armor Wars
Marvel Studios’ Armor Wars will feature James “Rhodey” Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, tracking down Stark tech and making sure it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands, all while dealing with the aftermath of Tony Stark’s Avengers: Endgame sacrifice. While it had originally been billed as a Disney+ series, it’s now being redeveloped as a feature film, meaning the budget will be bigger and more MCU characters could make appearances. This perhaps includes the likes of Riri Williams, who has used Stark tech to build her Ironheart armor, or even Doctor Doom as the Infamous Iron Man, as one theory suggests.
Both an appearance from Riri Williams or Doctor Doom could constitute the Midnight Angels to show their faces during Armor Wars, whether that be protecting Williams or battling Doom. It makes sense that Rhodey would want to confiscate Williams’ Ironheart armor for fear of it being used for nefarious purposes, which could ultimately lead to the Midnight Angels’ intervention. This would be reminiscent of the way Okoye used her armor to free Everett Ross from captivity at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, embracing her new identity as a Midnight Angel which could enable her to play a part in more Marvel projects.
Untitled Wakanda Series
There is still a lot of mystery surrounding this upcoming series from Marvel Studios, since it doesn’t yet have a name or release date, and other information is incredibly sparse. However, it is known that the series will detail Okoye’s MCU backstory, presumably her time before joining the Dora Milaje. While this might mean that no events in the present day will be seen, completely omitting her new identity as a Midnight Angel, it’s far more likely that present events will be tied in with events from the past, allowing viewers to get the full picture of who Okoye is.
Okoye’s storyline during Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was full of heartbreak, first mourning the loss of T’Challa, then losing Shuri and Riri to Namor’s warriors, and then being stripped of her duty and standing as the head of the Dora Milaje, then watching her beloved queen die while they were on poor terms. Her new Midnight Angel identity gives her more purpose and power than ever before, meaning this aspect of her character must be a huge part of the Marvel’s upcoming Wakanda TV show. Perhaps the series will show her entire journey leading up to being a proud member of the Midnight Angels.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty & Avengers: Secret Wars
The MCU’s Phase 6, and the Multiverse Saga as a whole, will culminate in the crossover films, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, two massive events set to be on a par with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. These films are rumored to be bringing many Marvel characters together, even dragging old characters from other franchises into the fray, including the Fox X-Men films and potentially Sony’s previous Spider-Man attempts. This would be the perfect opportunity for the Midnight Angels to make another MCU appearance, much like the Dora Milaje and Wakandans did during Infinity War and Endgame.
Kang the Conqueror seems like a formidable villain for Marvel’s superheroes, as described by He Who Remains in Loki’s season finale, and Kang during the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trailer. It’s likely that the Avengers will need all hands on deck to battle the multiversal supervillain, and since Okoye already unofficially became a member of the Avengers during the five-year Blip, it makes sense that she and Aneka would be recruited once again to fight alongside the MCU’s staple superhero team. The Midnight Angel armor gifts Okoye and Aneka superhuman abilities, allowing them to be a more even match for any Thanos-level villain.
Black Panther 3
A third installment of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther hasn’t yet been announced, but since the initial response to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been mostly positive, it’s likely that a third film will follow suit, probably after the end of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. In Marvel Comics, the Midnight Angels are the personal bodyguards of the Black Panther. Now that Shuri has become the Black Panther, and her close friend and confidant Okoye is a member of the Midnight Angels, this dynamic will certainly play a very important role in the future.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s introduction of the Midnight Angels has opened the door for several comic storylines to be adapted brilliantly in live-action, especially with charismatic personalities such as Okoye and Aneka taking the reins as the Wakandan heroes. The pair are sure to turn up again before the close the Multiverse Saga, but their stories are bound to carry on long after this era of the MCU has ended. It will be great to see Okoye and Aneka’s stories develop as the MCU’s Phase 4 ends with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and carries on into Phase 5.
Key Release Dates
