‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is the perfect emotional thrill ride
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Disclaimer: This story contains spoilers.
The next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe arrived last Friday — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Recent entries into the MCU have been relatively disappointing, so there was a lot of pressure on “Wakanda Forever” to deliver and satisfy fans.
Although there are moments in the movie that are lacking, the emotional resonance of this project is extraordinary. “Wakanda Forever” is a rare bright spot in the current state of the MCU.
In addition to being a sequel to the critical and cultural juggernaut that was 2018’s “Black Panther,” director Ryan Coogler also had to tackle the death of actor and star of “Black Panther” Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in 2020 after his battle with colon cancer.
Boseman’s passing had a massive impact on the cast and crew of “Wakanda Forever,” and fans questioned how the film would address the sudden absence of Boseman’s character, T’Challa, the Black Panther.
Even with these worries, Coogler still managed to create a spectacular film. One of the aspects of this film that makes it truly special is how it is able to honor the life and legacy of both Boseman and T’Challa.
The film opens with a harrowing scene in which T’Challa is suffering from a mysterious illness that is seemingly impossible to cure. T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, is desperately trying to save her brother, but in the end, she is unable to.
This scene is followed by the classic Marvel studios intro, however, every aspect has been changed to feature Boseman and all of his best moments as the Black Panther. Immediately, the audience is reminded of the legacy that Boseman has left, but also shown that Marvel will write a new chapter in the story of the Black Panther, with Shuri at the center of it.
We see throughout the film that the loss of T’Challa as well as the Black Panther has left Wakanda without a true protector. Many enemy groups see this as an opportunity to invade the country and try to steal vibranium, Wakanda’s most valuable resource and the strongest metal in the world.
It is under these circumstances that the audience is introduced to the main antagonist in the film, Namor, played masterfully by Tenoch Huerta.
Namor is the leader of an underwater kingdom called Talokan, and one of the first mutants that we have seen in the MCU. According to Coogler, the world of Talocan is heavily based on Mesoamerican culture, specifically from the Yucatán and Mayan periods.
What makes Namor the perfect villain for this story is that he is able to push Wakanda to all of its limits, which is a central theme throughout the movie. At this point in the MCU, Wakanda has been presented as the most powerful and technologically advanced nation in the world, especially given its abundance of vibranium.
But “Wakanda Forever” does a tremendous job of showing how weak the African nation truly could be. From being unable to save T’Challa to being brutally attacked by Namor and Talocan, Wakanda is not as strong as it has been in the past.
The responsibility to remain strong and protect her home eventually falls on Shuri, who must take up the mantle of the Black Panther in order to save her people.
She is both reluctant and nervous to become the next Black Panther because she feels that she is unable to properly carry on her brother’s legacy. It is not until her mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), is killed by Namor that she finally makes her choice.
When she finally decides to take the heart-shaped herb of Wakanda and become Black Panther, we learn a lot about who Shuri truly is and what her initial motivations are.
In order to properly follow in her brother’s footsteps, she needs to fight for peace and protection while still being a fierce and strong leader. This moment is a very powerful reminder for both Shuri and the audience of what an amazing character T’Challa was, and also how incredible of an actor Boseman was.
The characters in the movie were just as affected by the passing of T’Challa as actors and MCU fans were by the passing of Boseman. Coogler did an incredible job of honoring the legacy of Boseman and T’Challa, while still allowing characters like Shuri and Namor to have deep character arcs of their own.
The performances from both Wright and Huerta give their characters real emotional depth that stays true even until the final fight between them. Although their styles of leadership are quite different, we see throughout the film that Shuri and Namor are not that different, and both need to learn from each other in order to grow.
One of the best lines in the film comes from Namor when he tells Shuri that “only the most broken people can be great leaders.” This bears true at the end of “Wakanda Forever,” when Shuri is able to overcome all of her recent trauma and not only becomes the next Black Panther and Queen of Wakanda, but she is also now a new pillar character as the MCU moves on to the next part of its story.
At a time when the MCU is lacking in quality in its content, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is the perfect emotional event to get the franchise back on track as it moves on to the next chapter of its story.
