Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – A Sensational Sequel

The original Black Panther was such a pop culture sensation when it was first released in 2018, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time and earning 3 Oscar wins and 7 total nominations. Meanwhile, the film also truly put star Chadwick Boseman on the map which only made his unfortunate death back in August 2020 that much sadder. Since then, the decision to continue the franchise has been a contentious one though the question of whether or not to recast T’Challa has been even more contentious. After some reflection and contemplation, cue Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a film with the near herculean task of not only following up the phenomena that was Black Panther but also living up to the legacy that Boseman so eloquently left behind without him or T’Challa while also finding a way to move the franchise forward. Suffice it to say that this sequel accomplishes that task, harnessing plenty of emotion to deliver an incredibly satisfying narrative that does its characters justice as they attempt to grieve and more forward just as audiences continue to do the same. As much as the film works along with other MCU fare with all those moments, it works as well if not better as a character study which is sure to have even more staying power. It may be long, clocking in at nearly 3 hours, but the time simply flies by.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever sees the titular nation in mourning after the sudden tragic death of King T’Challa from an unexpected illness. Taking the loss especially hard was his sister Shuri (Wright) who lost a part of herself when she lost her brother. Burying herself in her work, her failure to address that grief was cause for concern from her mother Queen Ramonda (Anglea Bassett). Meanwhile, with the nation seemingly vulnerable in the eyes of the outside world, it became immediately clear that this was not the case. Looking to take advantage, the target was their vibranium which was seen as a potential game-changer as nations continued to jockey for position. Little did they know, vibranium was not exclusive to Wakanda as the discovery of an alternate source led to a much more important discovery of a civilization that could rival Wakanda. The repercussions of that discovery rippled all the way to Wakanda as a mutant known as Namor (Tenoch Huerta) emerged from the water and introducing audiences to the underwater civilization of Talocan, one that shared countless parallels with Wakanda but as his tragic backstory was revealed, he had much different intentions for he and his people’s future.

Creating an interesting ideological contrast, the film creates another so called villain character in Namor that audiences can easily empathize with in spite of what can be argued as a rushed backstory of him and his people. However, in the end, the heart of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was the character arc of Shuri over the course of the film as she tried to pave her own path that may not be so different than the one her brother took. With parallels everywhere, the story finds a way to come full circle which is truly a testament to the vision and caring hand of Ryan Coogler, resulting in an emotionally-satisfying journey. That being said, those strong character moments do occasionally get somewhat drowned out if not overshadowed by the rest of the story that attempts a lot of heavy-lifting. Besides what has already been mentioned including the Shuri and Wakanda grief arc and Namor, it also works towards advancing the MCU as a whole with the albeit shoehorned introduction of RiRi Williams (Dominique Thorne), who is set to appear in the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart. A not always seamless catalyst of the story, she was certainly an entertaining scene-stealer at times but she wasn’t all that necessary as she proved to be a distracting presence more than anything else.

Nevertheless, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was still very much an MCU film at the end of the day. On the technical side, the film is absolutely breathtaking and very cinematic. From its gorgeous cinematography to its production and costume design, it is absolutely beautiful as it makes the nation of Wakanda an even bigger part of the story than in the original. An immersive experience, the score was even better this time around and made the world feel alive as it hits all the right notes and taps into the emotion of the story. The special effects are still top notch as Wakanda is taken to yet another level with the addition of the much different civilization of Talocan also being a standout. The action was also there with several well-shot and exciting set pieces that really showcase the power of Wakanda. New addition Namor is a sight to behold as his power in the water was matched by his power on land thus making for a formidable adversary while his people were no slouches either.

At the end of the day, the best part of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was its performances across the board, for whom along with a strong script, hit all the right emotional notes that take the film to another level as it would not have worked nearly as well if not for them. Asked to carry the franchise following Boseman’s untimely death, Wright was definitely up to the task as she carries so much of the film’s emotional weight on her shoulders. Shuri’s journey was a highlight where she got to show off some impressive range as she carried layers of pain beneath the surface while thrust into a position that required strength in the face of threats both foreign and domestic. She pulls audiences in as they will find themselves emotionally invested in that journey. Bassett delivers an equally powerful performance along those same lines and was another major driving force. Huerta was sensational as Namor, creating a formidable and instantly memorable villain solely due to his effortless charisma and screen presence.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of the best sequels across the entire MCU and is more than worthy follow-up to Black Panther.

the film contains only one mid-credit scene

still courtesy of Marvel Studios

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.