Marvel blends real loss and grieving with their usual superhero action
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Written by: Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole
Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira
Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action, and some language
Release Date: November 11, 2022
Runtime: 2:41
This review may contain spoilers
Losing a King and legend
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is more than just another superhero movie – it’s also about Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman’s passing.
MCU
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the long-awaited sequel to 2018’s Black Panther. This is the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU. COVID-19 pushed the filming and production back longer than expected. Things worsened when the main star, Boseman, died suddenly in 2020.
Boseman Forever
Chadwick Boseman died from colon cancer, keeping quiet about his condition. Marvel Studios opted to write T’Challa’s death into the sequel instead of recasting his role. Some were torn by this decision – some wanted to see the character continue past Boseman’s death while the other side felt Boseman’s performance was irreplaceable.
Not every character will get this treatment. For example, William Hurt died recently, who played the MCU’s Thaddeus Ross. But his character won’t be killed off in the MCU. Harrison Ford will now play the role in future movies, starting with Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts.
Wakanda: post-T’Challa
Wakanda Forever starts a year after T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman, 42) dies from an unknown illness off-screen. Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett, What’s Love Got to Do with It) and Shuri (Letitia Wright, BBC’s Small Axe) are still in mourning while the rest of the world demands that Wakanda share its resources, particularly vibranium.
Unknown to the Wakandans, American forces can now find vibranium in the ocean with new vibranium-detecting devices. They are soon killed by blue aquatic dwellers called the Talokan.
Their ankle-winged leader, Namor (Tenoch Huerta, Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico), confronts Ramonda and Shuri after easily slipping past their advanced border security. He demands they kill the scientist responsible for developing the detecting tech – a young MIT student named Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne, Judas and the Black Messiah). If they do not, the Talokan will attack Wakanda next.
With no Black Panther to protect Wakanda now, Ramonda and Shuri must find a way to defend themselves from the incredibly powerful Talokans. Or else, the Talokans will wage war with the surface world next.
And for some reason, this isn’t important enough to call the Avengers for aid.
Director’s tribute to Boseman
While this sounds like a typical MCU sequel film, Director Ryan Coogler (who directed the previous Black Panther movie and the first Creed film) really made this about Boseman. I’m not sure what the sequel’s plan was before Boseman’s death, but the director really shows how much Boseman meant to him through this film.
The beginning focuses on the Black Panther’s funeral and shows how the main characters are dealing with the loss. The characters’ grieving reflects the actors’/actresses’ real emotions of losing Boseman. His real-life impact can especially be felt by Bassett, Wright, Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), and Winston Duke (M’Baku).
The Marvel banner in the film’s intro also pays tribute to Boseman. This is where they add characters along the Marvel logo before each film, often from the last few movies (or TV shows). For Wakanda Forever, it’s all Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther. They did a similar tribute for Stan Lee in the opening for Captain Marvel after he passed away, too. It’s a real class act.
Yes, I talked a lot about Boseman in this review, but it was hard not to due to his importance to the role, the movie, and the industry.
Angela Bassett
While there were a lot of great performances in this film, Angela Bassett really stood out. She has the perfect balance of grief, anger, and authority in dealing with the film’s conflicts. She really stole the scene multiple times in this movie about superheroes. And I’m not alone. People have been talking about her earning an Oscar nomination for this role.
Love that music
The music is great, too. Composer Ludwig Göransson has been behind the music from The Mandalorian to Tenet and worked often with Donald Glover’s Childish Gambino projects. Göransson did a lot of research to recreate Mayan music and altered existing themes for T’Challa and the Dora Milaje to sound new.
Rihanna also makes a new single, “Life Me Up,” for the film, her first in over six years.
Namor
Namor gets his first live-action appearances in films, and Marvel Studios really altered his backstory. Originally in the comics, Namor (often titled the Submariner) was a white character in green trunks and had weird elf ears and crazy-looking eyebrows. Think of him like a shirtless Spock from Star Trek, except with ankle wings (that somehow makes him fly). Namor started off as a villain, especially for the Fantastic Four, but most of the time, he just wants his kingdom left alone from the surface. He’s like DC Comic’s Aquaman – both swim, have water-based powers, control all forms of aquatic life (including sea monsters), and both are kings of their world’s Atlantis.
The MCU version of Namor (not called the Submariner, at least not yet) is now of Mayan descent, and his kingdom and people are called Talokans. Like the Wakandans, their civilization thrives from vibranium; however, the Talokans are much stronger. In fact, their attack on Wakanda was enough to force them to flee their city in fear.
Namor also explains later in the movie that he is a mutant. Ohhhhhhh, X-Men are coming!!
Ironheart
Thorne will be getting her own Ironheart series on Disney Plus where Williams will have her own adventure, fighting bad guys in late 2023. Coogler will be attached as producer.
There was a lot of ground to cover
One thing I would comment against would be the story. A lot is going on in this film. Everything from introducing Namor and his people, giving a thorough narration of the Talokans’ origins, the world politics centering on Wakanda and its vibranium, introducing Riri Williams, Shuri trying to artificially recreate the heart-shaped herb, and the death of T’Challa. While these different side stories still felt balanced and well-written, it was just a lot of take in.
A sequel with a ton of heart
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a strong emotional tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. Its dedication to honoring Boseman is its strongest value. While the rest of the film is very well done and continues to expand the vast Cinematic Universe, it’s hard to overlook the loss of Boseman and his T’Challa character. Even as the mantle of Black Panther is passed on (I won’t spoil it even though I think it’s dead obvious who), I think Boseman will always be missed as the Black Panther.
Yes, of course, Marvel will still make you stay for the credits. However, there is only one in the mid-credits; nothing at the end. It’s a sweet scene giving one last sendoff for Boseman.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming on Disney Plus.
