Phase Four in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been one marred with grief, and the final entry in the phase — Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — is no different. When Chadwick Boseman, the incredibly talented actor that portrayed T’Challa/Black Panther in four MCU movies, sadly passed in 2020 after a quiet battle with cancer, the world was stunned.
Wakanda Forever, which hit theaters on November 11, had to deal with the loss of its main star both narratively and personally.
SPOILER ALERT: The content that follows below contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. If you haven’t watched it and you’re interested in watching it, please go watch it before you read this.
It became clear through trailers and comments from director Ryan Coogler that Boseman would not be recast and instead the mantle of Black Panther would pass to a different character. The script and story had to be re-written to adjust for the loss of their Black Panther, and at times, you can feel that in watching the sequel.
Instead of a story that addresses the after-effects of Thanos and the Blip, we go on a journey of sadness, grief, trauma and how you process each of those following the death of a loved one.
As the movie opens, we quickly learn that T’Challa has come down with an illness, and — thanks to Killmonger’s burning of the sacred, heart-shaped herb — there’s nothing anyone can do to heal him. He passes (off-screen) as Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) attempts unsuccessfully to synthetically recreate the herb that could save her brother’s life.
Shuri’s pain and loss is the through-line throughout the film as she battles feelings that she failed (and was failed by) the mantle of Black Panther, her brother and eventually even her mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett).
Along the way we meet newcomers Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) and Namor (Tenoch Huerta) as an ally and villain, respectively. Williams is an MIT student that has created not only her Iron Heart suit (very heavy Stark vibes), but also a device that can detect Vibranium (the strongest metal on Earth and highly sought after by nations trying to use it for weapons). This device leads us to Namor, the leader of an underwater civilization that — like Wakanda — was created thanks to a Vibranium-laden meteor.
Only Riri can create the tech that will allow outsiders to discover Vibranium, and since T’Challa shared Wakanda’s true identity with the world, Namor places responsibility for delivering her on Ramonda and Shuri. What ensues is Shuri’s battle with protecting her people, avoiding strife with Namor and battling her emotions around loss and grief.
Marvel has long had a villain issue, either not giving them enough of an interesting back story (Malekith, for example) or killing off the compelling ones after one movie (Killmonger, Xu Wenwu). They nailed it in Wakanda Forever. We get a full backstory for Namor, including his motivation for protecting his people, his home Talokan and the Vibranium.
Huerta emerges as a true star after his performance, captivating every moment he’s on the screen. Wright shines as a leading lady, and Bassett is flawless at all times. Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye) and Winston Duke (M’Baku) continue to dominate on a cast full of stars. There’s even a cameo from Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger that was perfectly executed.
It’s not all perfect, falling short of the measuring stick the original set. The inclusion of now-C.I.A. Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) felt a little out of place, and some of the new costumes — Riri’s second Iron Heart suit and the new Midnight Angels — seemed more Pokemon or Sonic than Black Panther.
But what Wakanda Forever does is advance the story of Black Panther while paying homage to a life lost entirely too soon. At times, it’s hard to tell if there’s any real boundary between mourning T’Challa the character and Boseman the person, and honestly it’s perfect.
These actors lost an actual, real life friend and mentor. This movie is raw and emotional and a wonderful way to honor both. From the Marvel logo featuring only images of Boseman as Black Panther to Wright’s final tear-ridden farewell to T’Challa as scenes from previous movies grace the screen, it’s an appropriate homage to what we lost. Don’t forget your tissues.
