Search “Black Panther 2 cast” on Google, which will bring up a pleasant surprise: Rihanna’s face! Yes, listed right alongside all the cast members from the first film who are reprising their roles — Michael B. Jordan, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and so forth — is Rihanna’s own photo. The Google result came as a shock to Rihanna’s fanbase, since there had been no announcement or confirmation that the Grammy-winning singer and Fenty entrepreneur will be starring or making a cameo in the Black Panther sequel that’s slated for a 2022 release.
HollywoodLife has reached out to Rihanna’s rep for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication. The Black Panther sequel was also not included on Rihanna’s list of IMDb projects. Although a Google search isn’t enough to confirm a cameo, fans took to Twitter with excited buzz regardless! “Is anyone gonna talk about how Rihanna is on the cast for BLACK PANTHER 2 like HUHHHHH,” one fan tweeted, sharing a screenshot of the Google search, while another fan wrote, “So why am I jussst finding out that Rihanna is listed as a cast member in Black Panther II .”
So why am I jussst finding out that Rihanna is listed as a cast member in Black Panther II 😧
— the sun’s daughter🌞 (@ephrata) November 22, 2020
Other fans took the speculation a step further by guessing which role RiRi could play. Most placed their bets on Princess Zanda, who rules the African nation of Narobia in the Marvel Comics. This is actually a rumor that can be traced to Dec. 2019; at the time, radio broadcaster Mike Adam tweeted, “Marvel is allegedly eyeing #Rihanna for a role in the upcoming #BlackPanther sequel!!! @rihanna would play Princess Zanda, the ruler of Narobia, if hired.”
🚨 Rumour 🚨
Rihanna’s gonna be in Black Panther 2!! She is playing the role of Princess Zanda, the leader of the African nation of Narobia. #BlackPanther2 pic.twitter.com/1xCWUohs9k
— RihannaNaviDE (@RihannaNaviDE) November 23, 2020
However, a few fans speculated that Rihanna could play Storm, a Marvel Comics character who marries and then divorces the Black Panther. “Mmm if Rihanna is really in this I wonder if she will play Storm. In the books storm and Black Panther got married so Storm being in there somewhere would not be weird at all. (but then there are soooo many roles she could be playing I just think Storm would be cool),” one fan tweeted, while another wrote, “Rihanna must be playing Storm if she’s in black Panther 2.” Marvel Studios reacquired the rights to the X-Men characters (Storm is one of them) thanks to Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, making this possible — if Rihanna will even act in the movie, that is!
I think the theory is she is going to play Storm 🌪⚡️🌪
— pats stone (@spaceman__) November 22, 2020
The Black Panther was played by the late Chadwick Boseman, whom many fans were sad to see missing from the Google page for the Black Panther sequel. The 43-year-old actor tragically passed away in Aug. 2020, before the sequel was filmed, following a secret four-year battle with colon cancer.
This wouldn’t be Rihanna’s first acting gig (if she is making a cameo in the film, we repeat; singers are also given credits when their songs are played in movies). She played the starring role of Kofi Novia alongside Donald Glover in the 2019 musical film Guava Island, and also held roles in big budget films like 2018’s Ocean 8 and 2017’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Of course, there’s also her iconic role in the 2012 ocean adventure film Battleship, which birthed Rihanna’s “Navy” nickname for her fanbase!