Patriots Player Michael Bennett Shouts Out Wakanda on First Sunday Night Football Game of Season

To say that Black Panther has left a cultural impact would be putting it lightly, but the billion dollar-grossing Marvel Studios movie continues to leave an indelible mark on fans across the globe. It’s especially resonated with athletes as football and basketball players have embraced the film, some even designing their own professional shoes around T’Challa’s iconic costume. But the latest mention of Black Panther occurred in the opening moments of the NFL‘s return for the 2019 season, when New England Patriots Player Michael Bennett gave a shoutout with the film’s signature phrase during his introduction against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While most players state their names and where they went to college during these segments, Bennett instead shouted the iconic phrase “WAKANDA FOREVER.” Check it out in the clip below:

Bennett last played with the Philadelphia Eagles under a one-year deal, but has since joined the team where his brother Martellus won a Super Bowl. Bennett himself has also earned a ring, taking home the hardware with the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl XLVIII.

Now that he’s joined the reigning champions, Bennett has a good chance to make it happen again.

And just like the rest of us, Bennett is likely wondering what’s going on with the sequel to Black Panther. Just last month, fans finally learned that Marvel Studios finally planned a release date for Black Panther 2. There were rumors that the film would be released earlier and that writer and director Ryan Coogler had finished the script, but Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige had to clarify that’s not the case.

“The honest answer to that is that is pure rumor and speculation, because Mr. Coogler is just only in recent weeks sitting down at his keyboard and beginning to outline the movie,” Feige said to BET. “It’s early, so nothing is set yet in any way that far, because Mr. Coogler is sitting down and will share it with [producer] Nate Moore and myself in coming weeks.”

Now it sounds like progress has been made, and the King of Wakanda is set for his comeback in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Black Panther 2 is currently scheduled to premiere in theaters on May 6, 2022.

Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images.