Movie review: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, why it worked and why it didn’t (spoilers!)
When I walked into this movie, I knew that it was going to be nearly impossible to top Black Panther (2018). But this came pretty close.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), directed by Ryan Coogler, is special. Nobody knew what to expect from a sequel in which the lead actor had passed away. And I am not going to lie; most of the time I was thinking of the fact that Chadwick Boseman wasn’t there rather than the movie itself.
The movie is filled with grief and packed with emotions. Throughout the whole room, I felt this feeling of loss hovering over the audience. In the scenes where there was a complete silence, you could feel this the most. The silence in the iconic Marvel introduction and the final scene of the movie was incredibly intense in my theater. It was a cinematic experience like no other. From the second the movie started, I started to tear up internally, knowing that in some way, this isn’t fiction like the rest of the movie.
The producers had a challenging decision to make. They didn’t only have to think about honoring Boseman’s legacy but also how to continue T’Challa’s story — the Black Panther story. Their solution was ideal: making T’Challa’s death resemble Chadwick Boseman’s. This tributed to both sides and blurred the line between reality and fiction even further. Letitia Wright (Shuri) saying things such as “He never asked for anyone’s help” made it hit even more home than before. According to me, this was the best tribute both T’Challa and Chadwick could’ve gotten.
Beside that, the acting was amazing. Angela Bassett was simply incredible, and her character became one of my favorites in this movie. It goes without saying that Letitia Wright also delivered beautiful, pure scenes and moments.
Moving on to the rest of the story, I really liked Namor. He is a great antagonist and a perfect fit for this movie. He is incredibly strong, and his people had some features that we had never seen before. Namor contributed a lot to Shuri’s arc as well.
Namor and Shuri are connected in some ways. They wanted to protect their country, and both lost loved ones. In the movie, we got a flashback to Namor’s childhood and origins. Shuri also got similar flashbacks to who she was before the Snap and the loss of her brother. Both of these elements being in the movie served as an excellent introduction to Namor and the Kukulkan people.
Another fundamental part of the movie was Domenique Thorne’s Riri Williams, Ironheart. Don’t get me wrong; I liked her character. Ironheart gives Marvel fans the nostalgia of Iron Man, and overall, is a likeable character. However, I somehow did not find her fitting in the movie. The reason why Shuri and Okoye went to find her seemed banal. I had the feeling that they could have found another reason why the Kukulkan tribe came into contact with the world. Instead, it feels like they chose this ‘vibramium detector’ story just for her to be introduced. While I believe she could have been introduced just as well in her upcoming series as Moon Knight and She-Hulk were.
Then, we come to Shuri becoming the new Black Panther. I think most people saw this coming, and I am glad that they did make her the new hero. After this movie, it only makes sense for her to be it. Not Nakia, M’Baku nor Okoye could have fitted it better then her.
Of course, there was also the pleasant surprise of Michael B. Jordan returning as Killmonger. I loved seeing him again, and it made a nice bridge between the first movie and this one. Him being there made Shuri progress even more and made her also realize that what T’Challa said in Captain America: Civil War (2015) was never as true as it is now. “Vengeance has consumed us both; I am tired of it consuming me.” I expected Shuri to see her mother, but this was a much better choice if you ask me. This showed her developing arc and the similarity between T’Challa and Shuri.
The ending was beautiful. The silence slowly turning into Rihanna’s song was so emotional and a perfect ending for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The credit scene, however, was interesting, to say the least.
I think it is nice to keep Chadwick Boseman’s legacy going on with his son. However, it seems weird to me that T’Challa never told Shuri about such an important part of his life. Is it because she got blipped and he then got sick? I hope that this will be further explored in the following movies, because it is an easy way out, yet smart move to decide who will take on the mantle of the Black Panther after Shuri.
To conclude, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever felt different without the legendary Chadwick Boseman. His loss was felt throughout the entire movie, and he was still present in every scene. Marvel and Coogler made a lot of smart decisions in this movie to keep his legacy alive. The acting was amazing, and apart from two minor elements I found confusing/not fitting in the story, I thought it was a great new MCU movie. This is definitely high in my Phase 4 ranking!
Rest in peace Chadwick Boseman
Alice ‘t Lam
@avrngers.ig on instagram
