"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is the sequel to 2018's "Black Panther" and the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed and co-written by Ryan Coogler ("Fruitvale Station", "Creed"), it pays an appropriately sombre tribute to its recently deceased lead actor by showing how things can still move forward in the wake of his absence.
One year after the untimely death of King T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the African kingdom of Wakanda is still in mourning as they struggle without their beloved monarch to lead them. T'Challa's younger sister, Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), feels the immense pressure to take over as ruler but believes she cannot handle such a huge responsibility all by herself. Not long after, the inhabitants of the underwater civilisation of Talokan, led by King Namor (Tenoch Huerta), emerge to wage a war against the surface world. With limited time remaining, the citizens of Wakanda must quickly overcome their grief to put a stop to the Talokan threat before everything is destroyed.
After the unfortunate passing of "Black Panther" actor Chadwick Boseman in 2020 due to cancer, the MCU was left with a complicated dilemma - should the sequel recast the lead role with a different actor or should they re-write an entirely new story without him? Either of these options would have been a risky move since audiences have become so familiar with Boseman's portrayal of King T'Challa (a.k.a the Black Panther) that it would be near impossible to accept anyone else in the role. It was soon revealed that out of respect for both Boseman and the fans that the latter option was chosen, with the character's in-world demise intended to mirror the actor's real-life death. Now with the release of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", we see how all of this has managed to play out, in a follow-up that makes good use of its supporting cast while also remaining respectful to the foundations that have already been laid down.
Anybody who saw the 2018 film will remember it has already been established that Wakanda is a place full of interesting characters that have helped this kingdom thrive for so long in seclusion. Because of this, it is believable that its citizens can continue to function without a King due to their personal code of discipline. However, due to their overwhelming admiration for King T'Challa, the Wakandans still feel a sense of emptiness with him no longer being around to lead them and as a result, they are living directionless lives. This is all conveyed to us primarily through the characters that knew T'Challa best and the audience gains a solid understanding of the grief they are each experiencing.
I think the film does a decent job of exploring the concept of losing someone you deeply care about, whether it is a close family member or someone you admired from afar. In particular, we get a good look at how Shuri, the next in line to the throne, just cannot bring herself to take her brother's place as the rightful ruler of Wakanda. Despite her lingering heartache, Shuri, along with the rest of Wakanda's de facto leaders, must find a way to set aside her sadness to confront the looming annihilation by advancing enemy forces. Most of the film shows how not only Shuri, but also Okoye (Danai Gurira) and Ramonda (Angela Bassett) all need to work together in order to prevent a major catastrophe from happening. I interpret this plot element as a metaphor for depression as a whole, since rising above intense emotional pain often requires the help of others. Because of that, this is a nice way of telling the audience that no matter how hard things may seem, there will always be others to aid them through their own personal difficulties.
Due to the prevalent themes of loss and despair, this is the most melancholic film in the entire MCU library, even more so than the beginning of "Avengers: Endgame". Naturally this is a striking departure from the MCU we are all familiar with, which is usually light-hearted and fun for practically everybody. As a result, there are very few moments of comic relief to brighten the mood, and even then it does little to help alleviate the severity of a specific scene. If you are expecting the usual humorous situations that MCU fans have grown accustomed to after all these years or the characters constantly cracking jokes at a convenient time, you are going to be sorely disappointed.
This film never wavers on its downbeat tone, with frequent reminders that the original hero is dead and not coming back. Of course, this is entirely understandable considering it would be disrespectful to not take into account Chadwick Boseman's monumental contribution to the series and the film plays along like something crucial is missing without him. Bearing that in mind, the film is still enjoyable in other ways. It does contain a number of good action scenes with some creative fight choreography and a deeper exploration of Wakandan lore to keep the audience invested. These are easily the most entertaining aspects of the film, as they remind us that Wakanda is more than simply the location where the Black Panther character originated. Just don't expect to be smiling too much during these highlights.
Out of the three main actors whom the film chooses to focus on, I think Letitia Wright really shone the most as Shuri. Though we have seen Shuri do many important things in previous MCU films, I think it is here where we finally get to see her come into her own. Gone is the confident, meme-quoting sister of King T'Challa and in her place is a mournful, vulnerable young woman who misses her brother and just can't see herself taking his place as leader. Regardless of this shift in personality, Shuri still retains her intelligent side, which is featured much more extensively in this film than we've ever seen before. It's quite impressive to see how well Wright plays into Shuri's insecurities, never once exaggerating her emotions to the point of caricature or melodrama. Instead, she is shown to be a relatable human being, coming to terms with the sudden curveball life has thrown her.
Though I must admit, none of this would have worked as well for Wright without the help of Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira as Ramonda and Okoye, respectively. As previously mentioned, they are all dealing with grief in their own unique ways but soon learn that working together to overcome it as a team is the best strategy. These characters feel like a real family, sticking together through what needs to be done to protect Wakanda from anything that threatens their existence. Even with the King no longer around to assist them, these three still prove themselves a formidable force against any hardship they may face.
Given the unexpected turn of events surrounding the death of its main star, this film works surprisingly well with its remaining cast members and a more interesting look at Wakanda's place in the MCU. It's hard to say for certain how things may have turned out had Chadwick Boseman lived to reprise his role here, but if I had to guess I would assume we'd have gotten a more optimistic sequel without that feeling of loss hovering over every scene. Personally, I think they made the right decision not to recast and with all of that said, I am nonetheless convinced that Boseman would be pleased to see his legacy honoured in the best way possible under these circumstances. I know I would be.
I rate it 8/10.
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