Superheroes | Movies
WEIRDO Reviews: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
YIBAMBE!!!
Closing out Phase 4 of the MCU is the 30th film in the franchise aptly titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Reeling from Chadwick Boseman’s untimely passing, director Ryan Coogler and company were dealt an impossible hand that forced upon them rewrites and restructuring from the bottom up. Fortunately, the movie turns the all too real grief into its driving factor, making this arguably the most emotional entry in Marvel’s cinematic history.
With a number of newcomers like Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, and Michaela Coel’s Aneka, the flick goes out of its way to allow everyone their time to shine, side characters and main characters alike.
That being said, the breakout here is easily Tenoch Huerta’s Namor, the picture’s central antagonist. Providing a worthy foil to Wakanda’s forces as Talokan’s — the MCU’s version of Atlantis — leader, Namor brings the pain, as well as a charming likability with motives that are seemingly relatable. I’m happy to say Latinos are finally at the forefront of pop culture.
Although the film moves at a somewhat slow pace at certain points, the story is engaging enough from start to finish. Rife with heartfelt moments and long-lasting stakes, Wakanda Forever feels as important as the first Black Panther, further enriching the late Boseman’s legacy in the title role. Coupling the film’s heart-racing action along with a beautifully inspiring mid-credits scene almost makes it easy to ignore the many conveniences and nitpick-worthy aspects sprinkled throughout its nearly three hour run time.
Nevertheless, as Phase 5 peeks its head around the corner, looking back at all the mega-juggernaut franchise has achieved seems like a pipe dream come true. Sure, there’s been just as many hits as misses, but if Wakanda Forever is anything to go by, then the future of the MCU looks just as promising as the DCU, cementing 2022 as a win-win for comic book fans and moviegoers alike!
