Black Panther: 13 Biggest Unanswered Questions
11. How Exactly Does The Black Panther Lineage Work?
The Question: So, how does the passing of the Black Panther title from one person to the next actually work?
Captain America: Civil War made it clear that T'Challa was already Black Panther before his father died, yet he obviously hadn't become King yet. Shouldn't T'Chaka (John Kani) still be the reigning Black Panther at the start of Civil War if he was also the King?
The Likely Answer: The most logical option is that T'Chaka, with his accelerated age, handed the Black Panther title over to his son some time before Civil War, at which point T'Challa would have some sort of ceremonial title and serve as the main guardian of the King before taking up the King's mantle when his father was killed.
Any other explanation is likely too messy or confusing, so we'll go with this.