Eyes of Wakanda is finally streaming, after years in development, but does the new animated MCU prequel tie into the live action Black Panther movies? It's a fair question, especially given that the new show is a prequel that takes place centuries in the past of the MCU.
We know from recent reports that Black Panther 3 is considered to be a priority for Marvel Studios, so keeping this part of the MCU in the public eye is a smart move. But how exactly does the new show tie in?
Does Eyes of Wakanda tie into the Black Panther movies?
Yes, it does. The premise of the series is that Wakandan spies known as War Dogs are tasked with retrieving Vibranium artifacts that have been lost, or stolen by other nations. Each episode is set in a different time zone with a new set of characters trying to find a different item.
It's already known that episode 3 links to MCU by introducing a new version of Iron Fist. More important to the Black Panther series, however, is episode 4, titled 'The Last Panther.'
The episode takes place in Ethiopia, 1896. The agents this time around are the hotheaded young Prince Tafari (Zeke Alton) and veteran War Dog Kuda (Steve Toussaint). Tafari is keen to leave his mark on Wakandan history by retrieving a stolen vibranium axe, but their mission is interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious masked warrior who fights them using incredible technology. Working together, Tafari and Kuda manage to eventually overpower their enemy, only to discover to their shock that she too is Wakandan.
The mysterious intruder reveals that she is from 500 years in the future and is the Black Panther of her time. She uses her technology to show them a vision of her time. Earth has been overwhelmed by a race of aliens "from the edge of the galaxy" known as the Horde (created by Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr. for 2007's Eternals #6). Humanity banded together to stop these invaders, but failed because one powerful nation refused to get involved: Wakanda.
The future Black Panther (who is never named, but is voiced by Anika Noni Rose) reveals that she is on a mission to stop Tafari from obtaining the axe. If he takes this object, then a chain of cause and effect will lead to a different future to the one we know from the movies.
In this dark future, Wakanda did not reveal itself to the world (as it does in the first Black Panther movie) and remained isolationist far into the future, eventually leading to its destruction by the Horde. For that reason it's vital for the sake of the future that the axe remains in Ethiopia for now. Tafari and Kuda eventually realise that the Panther is telling the truth and leave the axe where it is. In this way, Tafari gets what he wants and makes a mark on history, even if nobody knows it but him. Ultimately, he decides that the mission is more important than his personal glory.
To show that history is now back on its right track, we then cut to 2016 (when the first Black Panther is largely set) and see Eric Killmonger – played by Michael B. Jordan in Ryan Coogler's film – in a museum looking at a glass cabinet with a Wakandan axe in it. This is a direct link to the scene in the movie when Killmonger and Ulysses Klaue raid the museum and kill a load of guards in order to steal the very same axe.
Eyes of Wakanda is streaming now on Disney Plus. You can read our Eyes of Wakanda review, as well as our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies or how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
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