In August 2020, the shocking news of Chadwick Boseman’s death arrived. After the proper mourning time, it was revealed by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige months later that the studio would not be recasting T’Challa’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, a sequel would still continue with Ryan Coogler back in the director’s chair.
The first one Black Panther The film was a breakthrough success for Marvel Studios in 2018, grossing over $1 billion worldwide and becoming the first comic book film to earn a Best Picture Oscar nomination. The film was truly a cultural phenomenon and among the elite few to elevate the genre and take it to new heights, thanks in part to its groundbreaking portrayal.
A sequel to Black Panther was inevitable, but with the tragic loss of Boseman, it took on a new form never seen before in a crowded genre that has been dominating the box office for nearly a decade now. Like the first movie, wakanda forever offers something unique due to unforeseen real-life circumstances, and the end result is both powerful and touching.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever resumes after the events of Avengers: Endgame, with T’Challa’s death becoming permanent due to Boseman’s actual passing, with the story now following the world of Wakanda dealing with this grief. While the film is ultimately an ensemble, it ultimately rests on the shoulders of Letitia Wright’s Shuri and Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda.
When it comes to performance, everyone’s at the top of the game, and you can’t help but think it’s because of how closely the film is tied to real life. With Wright and Bassett serving as focal points, the two are the strongest of the bunch, with incredibly personal moments that are some of the most heartfelt we’ve ever seen in the MCU. Shuri’s transcendence in the movie in particular also works for those who might have reservations.
Every notable character from the first movie gets their chance to shine and has more to do with Boseman’s absence. wakanda forever also features Tenoch Huerta as Namor, the long-dormant Marvel character. Traditionally, Namor the Submariner is illustrated with a Vulcan guise and Marvel’s King of Atlantis.
Coogler and Marvel Studios put a spin on the mutant with Huerta in the role, making him the ruler of Talokan, born from Aztec mythology. The change is needed, since DC actually beat out Marvel Studios for once with Aquaman, but also because it offers more Mexican representation that the MCU has lacked so far. Like the first Black Panther and Shang Chi movies, Marvel Studios gives audiences something that feels authentic to the culture, which is always refreshing to see in a blockbuster superhero movie.
Although Talocan may not reach the same fantastical heights as Wakanda or Ta Lo, one of the main features of the film is the terrifying and inventive introduction of its people, which makes it a clear threat to the Wakandans from the start. the beginning. As for Namor’s motivation to go to war with Wakanda, it’s a bit too simple and not as complex as Killmonger’s strong point of view in the first film. Still, Huerta has a strong presence as Namor in every scene he’s in, even if he sometimes looks ridiculous in the precise, comedic green spandex. Since the MCU identified its villains in later phases, Namor doesn’t belong in Killmonger or Thanos, but he’s far from deep down either.
The film also manages to bring in another character who will be a major player in the future of the MCU, namely Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams. Marvel is doing what they do best by introducing another incredibly likable and relatable hero to their sprawling universe. Thorne’s performance also lives up to that of Wright and Bassett, and his inclusion in the narrative intertwines nicely. A minor complaint is the way Willaims is sometimes written, which is somewhat reminiscent of what we had with Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War. Despite the resemblance to the other young heroine, I’m all for seeing her story continue in Stone heart Next year.
A common criticism of Marvel Studios movies is how fabricated they can feel at times. Some filmmakers managed to infuse their style into the product, like James Gunn, Taika Waititi, Sam Raimi and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler. On the movies side, it seems Marvel Studios has embraced some filmmakers’ vision more overtly in Phase Four than in the past, and that continues to be evident with Coogler’s direction in wakanda forever.
What fixed the first Black Panther the film apart from other MCU entries was its cultural and personal touch. Given Coogler’s work and background, you could smell his fingerprints all over the movie, and wakanda forever is no different. You can feel Coogler’s grief reflected in the art, and making this movie might have felt like therapy to him. Ultimately, it’s a beautiful experience not often seen in commercial art, and Coogler deserves all the credit for it.
Marvel movies are usually quite a spectacle, despite some faulty CGI at times, which is no different than Wakanda forever. Coogler takes his abilities as a successful filmmaker to the next level with action. Some really fun action sequences give the movie a nice contrast to the dark tone throughout. With wakanda forever now under his belt, it’s clear that Coogler is a master filmmaker and one of the best of his generation. Coogler’s MCU movies feel different from others, and one of the few that feels like there are also stakes in a franchise built on comic book troupes.
wakanda forever has a lot to say and ends at 2 hours and 41 minutes, making it one of the longest MCU entries, and there are some moments where you can feel it. The film features two main characters, Riri Williams and Namor, and these storylines are to the benefit of the film, allowing these storylines to breathe. But there’s another involving Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross and another familiar face who might have sometimes been left on the cutting room floor in favor of a more stripped down version.
Like many phase fours, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever isn’t the traditional fare that audiences have grown accustomed to in the MCU. In fact, there’s never been a comic book movie quite like this, with the star of a deceased franchise and a sequel dealing with that tragedy in its narrative. There are times when you can’t help but think about how Boseman’s T’Challa would have taken that story into account and how much better the movie would have been with it, but that’s not a valid criticism. in this case. wakanda forever joined Spider-Man: No Coming Home and Shang Chi as major highlights of Marvel’s latest phase as it draws to a close. With such an order Coogler had to overcome with a Black Panther followed, it delivers in a big way and creates a deeply moving MCU episode about the human condition. The circumstances of Chadwick Boseman’s death are undoubtedly unfortunate, but it’s a great example of turning a difficult situation into something beautiful.
Rating: 8/10
