The whole world held its breath, awaiting the formal release of Black Panther Wakanda Forever on November 11, 2022, the sequel to the 2018 origin story of the titular comic book character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). And now that it’s here, we are only one step away from the conclusion of Phase Four.
The latest release (runtime of 161 minutes) is a tribute to not only the notable kingly character but also to the late gem of an actor, Chadwick Boseman, who honoured the character of King T’Challa with posh finesse. Wakanda Forever is, therefore, the cry of his people and family who were left behind to pick up the pieces and themselves after his demise.
His kingdom is visibly in mourning, but the outside world stops for no one. External and challenging forces seek to disrupt Wakandan harmony now that the nation has been opened up to the world. It’s up to the ones left standing – Queen, Shuri, M’Baku, The Dora Milaje, Nakia and others – to protect their legacy.
Marvel’s official synopsis of the movie reads:
Queen Ramonda, Shuri , M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
-Black Panther Review Does Not Contain Any Spoilers-
After the severe disappointments released over the span of the entire Phase Four, this sequel deserves applause for reeling the audience back to the theatres despite the major OG audience having given up on Marvel’s initial trailblazing repertoire. With that said, now let’s get down to why this movie really deserves the praise it’s been getting since before its actual theatrical release.
Wakanda Forever doesn’t dilly dally. It straightaway picks up the vision of a nation falling apart post the demise of its leader. Queen Ramonda is reinstated as the leading force and the face of Wakanda. In her and in Shuri, we witness two representatives of differing ideals, a healthy picture of two generations seeking to negotiate the gap between each other. At the same time, they have their own means of coping with T’Challa’s death, with Shuri rather channelling her fiery, vengeful spirit, angered and in denial of what has befallen them.
For comic buffs, the film has a lot of glorious visions, ranging from Riri William’s Ironheart, the first official mutant’s introduction – Namor, the new Black Panther wielding the illustrious mantle and more. However, one mustn’t simply eyeball these Easter Eggs as the prime offering to the people. Returning after a long break of four years, the titular standalone movie threads its solemn narrative through various elements present therein. It relies on its musical soundtrack, the costumes, and every piece of paraphernalia you can think of basically to ground its identity.
The music, especially, has a resounding subjectivity to it. In an era when mainstream films continue to refurbish the same lot of songs to attract a particular fanbase as its viewership, the new Black Panther serves its own characters and diversity. This is exactly why the first movie worked wonders as well.
Coming down to the antagonistic forces in the sequel, Namor’s army of the Talokans is an equal match for the much-feared Wakandans. Moreover, his origin story isn’t dragged out to an exhaustion point but is instead summed up concisely while making you feel for his cause and what he has at his hands to protect, just like Wakanda.
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Without a doubt, since it’s a Marvel film, one expects action-packed sequences to be of paramount significance. The last theatrical release of the fourth phase takes good care of that, but simultaneously, it doesn’t compromise on the emotional gravity of the circumstances. Meant to be a tribute to the former wielder of the title, the story is sensitive to the character of T’Challa as well as Chadwick Boseman’s genial presence and contribution in addition to the ones who must deal with the loss.
Older factors of conflict surface and aren’t brushed off as a matter of the past either. And as a grand turn-around, the film focuses on the matriarchal roots of the kingdom, with women taking charge, neither deriding them of their relentless spirit to fight in the field nor cutting down on their femininity. Queen Ramonda, Shuri, and Nakia were members of T’Challa’s direct family, and each of them was accorded a space to grieve in their own way. Not to forget, Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda is a commanding presence, one who can silence an entire arena with a single glance (out of respect for her).
Black Panther Wakanda Forever: Final Thoughts
The first few moments of the beginning Marvel logo ritual were controlled and paid a heartfelt tribute to Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa (and him). It was a moment of utter silence, even in the theatre. Despite Coogler’s complete switch-up of the storyline after the news of the grave tragedy struck, one would think the movie would’ve failed to amaze us all. Yet, it checked all the boxes, and that is all thanks to the director/writer’s thoughtful empathetic gesture, further bent into shape honourably by the cast members.
It’s not only the second-longest Marvel film but is also the most emotional delivery of the Studios to date. And it’s not merely the best one of the fourth phase either, it’s one of the best and most touching performances from Marvel since the beginning of its cinematic course.
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever starring Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman, Tenoch Huerta, Dominique Thorne, and more, is now out in theatres. Witness the epic glory of the much-anticipated sequel first-hand.
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