Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Confirms Casting of What If? Black Widow Star Lake Bell

One of the voice actors in Marvel's What If...? animated series is part of the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Many of the cast and crew of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made their way to the purple carpet world premiere of the Marvel Studios film Wednesday night, including Lake Bell. She voiced Black Widow in What If...?, filling the voice role of Scarlett Johansson. A November 2021 report claimed Lake Bell was joining Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, after paparazzi photos caught her on the set. The official cast list for the Black Panther sequel didn't include Bell, but she confirmed her involvement in an interview with Marvel Entertainment's YouTube channel.

"I don't want to say your character's name, but I do think we have the green light to share," the interviewer said. Bell replied, "No, I'm not allowed to say. All I'm saying is I am brief but with great energy and fervor, and I couldn't be more excited to be part of the movie."

The actress then revealed how she and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler are friends after spending time together at Sundance.

"Ryan Coogler is a good friend," Bell continued. "We were Sundance comrades in 2013 together, so we were in the same class. So it feels really good to be here and support him." She then spoke about what it means to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"I feel super honored to be a part of the Marvel Universe," she said. "I play Black Widow in the animated series What If...? so this is an extension of my loyalty I suppose. But truly, it's really fun to exist within a total fantastical universe that feels like a respite from the reality we deal with on a daily basis. It's extraordinary and it's full of wonder, and it continues to excite audiences. That for me is super cool."

Who Are the New Characters in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?

Riri Williams/Ironheart, played by Dominique Thorne, is a young genius who builds her own Iron Man-esque armor. She makes her Marvel debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, before starring in Ironheart, her own solo series on Disney+.

As for Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta, instead of hailing from Atlantis, the MCU version of the Sub-Mariner rules over Talocan, which comes from Aztec mythology. Namor has also been confirmed to be a mutant in the MCU.

Tickets for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are on sale now. The movie premieres November 11th, only in theaters.