christian movie reviews wakanda forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Christian Movie Review)

Verdict: An emotional and meaningful film that struggles not to buckle under its own weight; succeeding more as a cultural moment than as an exciting or cohesive story.

About The Movie

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would have been one of the year’s most anticipated films under any circumstances, but the tragic death of actor Chadwick Boseman adds an inseparable dimension. The movie is by far the weightiest and most emotional Marvel film to date; a meaningful—sometimes beautiful—tribute to its beloved actor and cherished character. At the same time, it doesn’t always soar as high as an actual compelling or cohesive story. Wakanda Forever is far from a bad film. In fact, at times, it’s an excellent film. But it’s a busy film, and often buckles under its own weight.  

The film handles the loss of its lead actor/character as well as feasibly possible. His presence is felt from start to finish, including an adjusted opening title card that essentially functions as a moment of silence. There is clear synergy between reality and fiction. For both the characters and the audience, the story unfolds almost like a guided process of cathartic mourning.

A byproduct of a Black Panther film without the Black Panther is that it is a more ensemble story. Letitia Wright as Shuri takes a more central role and gives a superb performance. Angela Bassett is also great as a grieving mother, and Lupita Nyong’o is always a welcome presence (despite limited screentime). Another standout is the newly introduced character of Namor, who is easily one of the most compelling villains in the MCU canon. Actor Tenoch Huerta doesn’t necessarily have the magnetic charisma to steal or command many scenes, but the character is so well developed, with understandable motivations and sympathetic humanity, that he is truly a character in his own right, and not just a necessarily foil for the heroes.   

Despite its emotional earnestness, not everything in Wakanda Forever works. Thematically, the film is razor-focused and unified. Narratively, however, it is jumbled and convoluted. The story unfolds as a collection of scenes and moments that don’t always flow together. The story constantly jumps to new locations and introduces new characters (that don’t add much) to an already crowded cast. Even when the film hits the middle of its lengthy runtime, it still feels like it’s just revving its engine.

Although director Ryan Coogler’s fingerprints are still evident, the movie lacks the kinetic energy of the thrilling first Black Panther film. Whereas Black Panther popped with vibrant color and visceral action, its sequel feels noticeably muted. Part of this is due to the more solemn story, but much is simply the result of some uninspiring storytelling decisions. Wakanda Forever is excessively plot-heavy and filled with a barrage of exposition. The story is emotional, but never all that fun or exciting. It may be a satisfying meditation on a specific cultural moment, but there is little to compel audiences to rewatch it, and it will be interesting to see how how the film is viewed in the future.

In the end, Wakanda Forever is a unique film with a worthy message. There is lots to appreciate, and there are flashes of brilliance, but it is largely held back by a jumbled and often unexciting story. It’s an excellent tribute to both Chadwick Boseman and the Black Panther character, but not the masterful sequel to Black Panther some may be expecting or hoping for.

For Consideration

Profanity: A handful of minor profanities (mostly “sh—“).

Violence: Standard, mostly bloodless MCU action. Several times, music (a siren’s call) is used to put characters in a trance and compel them to toss themselves into the ocean (and presumably drown).

Sexuality: There is a brief scene where one woman kisses another woman on the head and calls her, “my love,” with what seems like romantic undertones, although their relationship is not explicitly stated.

Other: Pagan spirituality plays a central role in the story. Characters pray to “the gods,” or to the specific god of their people. Several funeral rituals are performed. There is frequent talk about characters joining their ancestors, or having their ancestors watch over them. A ritual transports a character to the “ancestral plane.”

Engage The Film

Overcoming grief and finding faith.

From start to finish, Wakanda Forever is an exploration of grief. It asks difficult questions, such as, “How do we move on from tragedy?” and “How does loss shape us, for better or worse?” A strength of the film is that it allows its characters to confront these questions with raw and honest emotion. The Bible says that there is “a time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance” ( Ecclesiastes 3:4 ). Grieving is a natural reality. The characters respond to the tragic loss of T’Challa in different ways, and the film never seems to judge them or suggest that one response is better than the others. While the story cautions against allowing grief to become all-consuming or lead to destructive anger, it also serves as a reminder that there is no one path to healing.

In the film, grief also drives characters toward faith and spirituality. While this spirituality is not presented in a strictly biblical sense (see Content to Consider above), the overarching theme is nevertheless powerful. The movie begins with a voiceover of a prayer that ultimately goes unanswered, resulting in a spiritual journey for the grieving character. There is a fascinating conversation between the Queen and Shuri, as the queen attempts to guide her daughter through a religious ritual to find peace and feel her brother’s presence. The scientifically minded Shuri dismisses the advice, asserting that the feeling is merely a mental construct, and not real. Her mother responds by challenging Shuri what “mental construct” her own brain is making, and whether it bring her peace?

Shuri retreats from her grief into her science and technology but can’t find peace in her more naturalistic worldview. On several occasions, she questions or lashes out against spiritual things and their futility to prevent her brother from dying. By the end of the film, however, she is on a path toward faith, reaching a satisfying conclusion and bookend to the opening scene. While the film’s conception of faith and spirituality does reflect biblical Christianity, the general theme is consistent with the comforting invitation by Jesus, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” ( Matthew 11:28 ).  

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Reviewed by: Alexander Malsan CONTRIBUTOR

Fictional African kingdom/country

Afrofuturism movement

Paganism / false religion / anti-Christian worldview

Prayer to the Egyptian false god, Bast (aka Bastet)

About idolatry and false gods in the Bible

Death of a loved one and national leader

Dealing with grief

Quest of nations for superior weapons

Hollywood films that characterize the United States and other Western nations as “greedy colonizers”

About mercy in the Bible

What is true Christian love , according to the Bible?

Prequel: “ Black Panther ” (2018)

K ing T’Challa, the King of Wakanda, has died. T’Challa, the Blank Panther, an Avenger and the protector of the Wakandans, contracted an illness for which there was no cure, despite his brilliant, younger sister, Shuri ( Letitia Wright ), multiple efforts to find one. As a nation mourns, a mother, Ramonda ( Angela Bassett ), still grieving the loss of her son, trying to make sense of his sudden passing, must once again take up the mantle and serve as the Queen of Wakanda.

A year goes by. While T’Challa may be gone, the actions he caused have continued to cause a ripple effect. While the world, or at least the nations that comprise the United Nations, claim they wish to work with the Wakandans, in secret, there have been recent attacks on the Wakandan’s storehouses in search of vibranium (the strongest, most powerful element on Earth, which can only be found in Wakanda). In truth, the UN fears the damage vibranium could cause if in the wrong hands. The Queen informs the General Assembly that she is fully aware of the attacks on the storehouses and warns them of dire consequences should these attacks occur. But they aren’t the only threat to worry about.

Indeed, an aquatic creature, known only as Namor ( Tenoch Huerta ), appears to the Queen and Shuri with a proposition: to ally with him and his people, the Talokans and preemptively start an attack on other countries before those countries can impose damage upon Wakanda and Talkoa. The Queen is appalled by his proposition and refuses, but Namor is not one to give up so easily.

Wakanda Forever.

When the first “Black Panther” came out in 2018, for some it felt like Marvel and Disney had revolutionized superhero movies. In some respects, African-Americans, as well as African cultures and traditions, had been placed in a more prominent position in mainstream media, particularly as it pertained to the superhero genre. Could one make this argument? Perhaps.

On the other hand, one could also make the argument that there were other motives that led to the creation of “Black Panther,” such as the need to keep up with progressive audiences with a woke agenda. If you think about it, the entire cast of “Black Panther” is African-American and the one white character that is in there, a CIA agent, is portrayed as naivé and clueless (and remains so in future appearances alongside the Black Panther in future films before “Wakanda Forever” came out).

This brings me to its sequel “…Wakanda Forever.” There’s no denying that, like its predecessor, “…Wakanda Forever” tugs at the heartstrings and never lets go for almost three hours. There were moments my heart literally felt like it stopped. The dialog between certain characters, particularly those delivered by Angela Bassett (who plays the Queen) felt impassioned and fueled by the real life tragedy and death of the actor who played the original Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman .

Speaking of Mr. Boseman, before his passing, had a very promising, aspiring career ahead of him. Disney and Marvel had huge plans for him and hopes of making future Black Panther films with him at the helm. In fact, “…Wakanda Forever” had originally contained numerous scenes that had Boseman in them and as such the production team decided to scrap the original film and rewrite and reshoot the film from scratch to account for his passing. I have to commend Disney a little bit for not adding salt to a wound for many fans who may, indeed, have been too saddened by seeing the original Boseman in the film, and yet…

Most recently, I came across a brief, yet thoroughly examined review of “Wakanda Forever” by David Cullen (his full review can be viewed below). Cullen believes it would have been possible for the franchise to have continued by simply replacing Boseman’s Black Panther in “Wakanda Forever.” Could someone else play the Black Panther? I’m divided, honestly. Boseman’s performance as the masked Avenger was so gripping at times it’s hard to think of someone else to replace him, and so if Disney had, I don’t believe the franchise would have been as successful, or appeal to the audience it wanted to.

Having said all that, there was one thing Mr. Cullen pointed out that I also noticed, and that was that “Wakanda Forever” has significantly promoted wokeism and woke ideology. I would also argue, and perhaps this is a step too far, that Mr. Boseman’s death allowed for Disney to become more woke in “Wakanda Forever” (whereas the first “Black Panther” had a healthy mix of males and females, “Wakanda Forever” is a female African-American driven film from start to finish, with the VERY few, again naive, males taking a backseat). In short, make no mistake that Disney continues to up its game on its subliminal woke messaging and “Wakanda Forever” serves as the catalyst for the message this time around.

Content of Concern

VIOLENCE: Very Heavy. Haitian slaves are seen being whipped, and then we watch as their homes are burned and they are then murdered. Two people are shot and killed. Some soldiers are zapped by electric spears. A sonic siren hypnotizes soldiers and people and makes them jump off of a ship and into the ocean. There are multiple instances where people are zapped or killed with a spear. Someone is shot in the face. A helicopter crashes into the ocean. A girl throws a speaker at someone. There is an intense chase sequence where cars explode and characters are tossed around. Water begins flooding Wakanda, and we witness people drowning or being pulled underwater. A character dies. There is a major fight sequence between the Wakandans and Talokans. People jump off a ship again and into the water. We see corpses floating in the water. Someone has a “part” of their body cut off (a wing). Someone takes a spear right out of their chest (somehow they are alive and walk it off). Someone is burned but survives without a scratch.

VULGARITY: Sh*t (8), B*ll-Sh*t (1), P*ss-Off (1), A** (1), Po-Po (Police) (1)

PROFANITY: Oh my G*d (2), H*ll (5), D*mn (1)

SEX: We see a implied lesbian couple kiss each other on the forehead. We witness a birth underwater and see a boy attached to a woman’s umbilical cord. Someone makes a double entendré about their fitness and their Peloton to a woman they’re trying to impress.

NUDITY: Some female Wakandans and Talokans wear tribal outfits that reveal their bare midriffs, and feature curve-revealing outfits. Some males are bare-chested.

DRUGS: The Black Panther serum brings Shuri to the ancestral plain, a spiritual afterlife of sorts where she can meet people like T’Challa and her father, T’Chaka. Talokans drink a serum, vibranium, that kills everyone but brings them back to life so they can live underwater.

OCCULT: There is a heavy amount of occult references in the film, or at least more than I was comfortable with. *Minor Spoiler* Namor’s origins are that he is an undersea ruler associated with Mesoamerican mythological systems. His watery realm was allegedly a gift from Chac, the Mayan god of water; and his people consider Namor to be a god himself. (He’s apparently considered the Feathered Serpent of those Mesoamerican pantheons, called K’uk’ulkan in Namor’s native Mayan language and Quetzalcoatl by the Aztecs.). The Wakandans also worship their own gods, particularly one named Bast, and we observe Shuri praying to one, but she loses her faith in Bast. The origins of the Talokans is that they consulted a shaman who was told to create a serum that kills everyone but brings them back to life so they can live underwater. The Black Panther serum brings Shuri to the ancestral plain, a spiritual afterlife of sorts where she can meet people like T’Challa and her father, T’Chaka.

WOKEISM: The female characters, whether they are Wakandans or Americans, are portrayed as the heroines and saviors, and the men that try to assist them, or offer guidance, are seen as subservient and stupid, or of little assistance at best. The United States and other countries are portrayed as villains (mostly the U.S.—they are the ones who broke into the Wakandan warehouse). As a side note I find this humorous, considering The Disney Company’s origins began in the U.S. and made films for the military. So in context they are really making themselves the villain, right?

There are multiples themes that I can draw upon from “Wakanda Forever.”

The first theme that is addressed numerous times throughout the film is the concept of death and life after death. As Shuri tries to deal with her brother, T’Challa’s, passing, she cannot help but wonder if he will be there waiting for her when it is her time to depart or whether it is a bunch of nonsense. In fact, since she is a woman of science, she is led to believe in the latter and her belief is strengthened even further when she *MINOR SPOILER* drinks the Blank Panther potion and does not see T’Challa in the ancestral plains but someone else *END MINOR SPOILER*

Indeed, in the real world, death is not the end, but the beginning. Our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins so that death would not be the end, so that we would not perish, but that we could have live eternally with Him in Heaven.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son , that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life . — John 3:16

What is DEATH? and WHY does it exist? Answer in the Bible

What is the FINAL JUDGMENT? and WHAT do you need to know about it? Answer

What is ETERNAL LIFE ? and what does the Bible say about it?

What is ETERNAL DEATH ?

Jesus stated the following…

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life . Whoever believes in me, though he die , yet shall he live , and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die …” — John 11:25-26

He also stated…

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life . He does not come into judgment , but has passed from death to life .” — John 5:24

He later proved his power over death by calling Lazarus to rise from the dead , though he had been dead for over a few days (John 11:17-44). He then conquered death , himself, by dying on a cross and rising from the grave three days later.

“But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels , namely Jesus , crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” — Hebrews 2:9

The other theme is temptation . The character, Namor, in the film reminds me a lot of Satan . I watched as he whispered in the ears of Shuri and the Queen promising them power, glory, and greatness if they allied themselves with him to go up against the other countries and preemptively strike.

Satan , the great deceiver , promised the exact same thing to Jesus in the desert: power, glory and riches if only he swore allegiance to him and not God (Matthew 4:1-11).

Satan wants us to doubt, distrust and spit at God’s very existence. He does this slowly by placing certain temptations into our lives. We must resist! We must put on the armor of God .

For because he himself has suffered when tempted , he is able to help those who are being tempted. — Hebrews 2:18

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil , and he will flee from you. — James 4:7

Trust in God! He won’t let you down. Even when you feel alone, God is there in the midst of us.

Closing Thoughts

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” is perhaps one of the most visually impressive movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to date (the production values are the strongest I’ve seen from a Marvel Film since “Avengers Endgame”). The attention to detail between the costuming, scenery and character development is memorable.

However, “Wakanda Forever” also has it shares of dangers: some incredibly heavy amounts of violence, heavy occultic themes, and some sex and language. So, while the film might look beautiful on the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that counts and on the inside there is something that, well, just doesn’t sit right .

Learn about DISCERNMENT —wisdom in making personal entertainment decisions

What is biblical WISDOM ?

Is “Wakanda Forever” a film worth seeing? I’m not entirely sure. You don’t NEED to see this film. You’re not really missing out on anything if you decide not to. It’s not spiritually edifying for Christians, especially the occultic themes I mentioned. In short, discernment is STRONGLY advised.

• Violence: Very Heavy
• Occult: Heavy
• Wokeism: Moderately Heavy
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderate
• Nudity: Moderate
• Sex: Moderate
• Profane language: Mild
• Drugs/Alcohol: Mild

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

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Black panther: wakanda forever, common sense media reviewers.

Epic, women-led sequel is part tribute, part intense battle.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Promotes collaboration, diplomacy, and partnership

Queen Ramonda, Okoye, Nakia, and Shuri are strong,

Ensemble cast is largely Black, as is writer-direc

Begins with off-camera death of King T'Challa. Ano

References to T'Challa's romantic relationship wit

Infrequent use of "s--t," "bulls--t," "treacherous

Apple iPhone, MacBook, Lexus, Louis Vuitton. Part

Parents need to know that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the sequel to Marvel's massively popular Black Panther . After the death of the beloved King T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman), the kingdom of Wakanda must regroup to protect itself against those who hope to destabilize the country and…

Positive Messages

Promotes collaboration, diplomacy, and partnership, particularly among historically oppressed people. Explores how grief and loss can be overwhelming and require reflection and rest to process. Like first film, encourages teamwork, communication, loyalty, integrity, courage, friendship. Highlights the abilities of women and people of color in positions of power (and leading roles). Explores idea of resource hoarding, what happens when an oppressed community becomes the oppressors. Duty, ritual, justice, and tradition are very important to the Wakandans. Idea that revenge is temporarily satisfying but ultimately destructive is a major theme.

Positive Role Models

Queen Ramonda, Okoye, Nakia, and Shuri are strong, smart, capable, brave. Shuri reluctantly takes on mantle of leadership. Her inventive tech genius helps Wakanda protect itself. Even the main villain is complicated and thought-provoking, making good points about collaboration and alliances.

Diverse Representations

Ensemble cast is largely Black, as is writer-director Ryan Coogler. Women run Wakanda, have agency, are shown to be strong, smart, capable, brave. Another group of people are underwater descendants of Mesoamerican Mayans, who maintain their Yucatec language and aspects of Mayan culture, such as their dress and the ball game pok-a-tok. Although they're depicted as antagonists, the Talokanil are normally peace-keeping people who want to be left alone. Soundtrack includes tracks by Mexican and Indigenous Mexican artists.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Begins with off-camera death of King T'Challa. Another death is particularly emotional later in the movie. Lots of intense action violence, chases, and hand-to-hand and weapons-based fights, including spears, water bombs, guns. People are drowned, shot, speared. An underwater group of people can chant a siren song that lures people to throw themselves into the sea. They have the power to destroy submarines and sink helicopters and ships.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

References to T'Challa's romantic relationship with Nakia.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent use of "s--t," "bulls--t," "treacherous," "son of Satan" and "demon" (subtitled).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Apple iPhone, MacBook, Lexus, Louis Vuitton. Part of the MCU franchise.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the sequel to Marvel's massively popular Black Panther . After the death of the beloved King T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman ), the kingdom of Wakanda must regroup to protect itself against those who hope to destabilize the country and steal its vibranium. There's also a new threat in the form of a superhuman, underwater-dwelling people descended from Mesoamericans. Expect action-packed fight scenes, law enforcement pursuits, hand-to-hand combat, weapons use, and potentially disturbing scenes of people throwing themselves into the ocean while hypnotized. People die from fatal injuries during battles and from drowning. One death is especially upsetting, as it leaves a character without any family. Language includes just a few uses of "s--t" and "bulls--t," and there's no romance. Viewers looking for applications to the real world can discuss the importance of diplomacy and collaboration, as well as the idea of intergroup understanding among people of color. The movie is dedicated to Boseman, and it fittingly deals with grief and loss even more than the first film. Stars Letitia Wright , Angela Bassett , Lupita Nyong'o , and Danai Gurira all reprise their roles from the first film. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (25)
• Kids say (66)

Based on 25 parent reviews

MCU manages to pull together to make one of the best MCU movies out there!

Great movie, but no movie is safe., what's the story.

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER begins with the off-camera death of King T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman ) after an undisclosed illness that even his genius little sister, Shuri ( Letitia Wright ), can't troubleshoot and fix. And since Erik Killmonger ( Michael B. Jordan ) had all of the sacred heart-shaped herb destroyed in Black Panther , a new Black Panther cannot be named after T'Challa's passing. A year later, Queen Ramonda ( Angela Bassett ) makes a statement to the international community asserting that T'Challa's absence doesn't mean that Wakanda can be weakened or destabilized by rogue mercenaries or jealous superpowers who want to steal vibranium. So when an American military operation to mine for vibranium underwater ends with everyone involved being killed, the CIA assumes that Wakandans are the assassins. But the culprit is actually the Talokanil, a group of mysterious, blue-skinned underwater mutants descended from Mesoamericans. Their leader, Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejia), can fly, has pointed/elven ears, and can -- unlike his people -- breathe outside of the water. He tries to convince the queen to join forces with him, oppose the sharing of vibranium, and secretly turn over the American scientist responsible for a machine that can detect vibranium underwater. But it turns out that when Shuri and General Okoye ( Danai Gurira ) track down the scientist, she's just a 19-year-old MIT undergraduate named Riri (Dominique Thorne) who reminds Shuri of herself. Unwilling to give Riri to Namor, the Wakandans must prepare to fight the Talokanil -- with or without a new Black Panther.

Is It Any Good?

Writer-director Ryan Coogler 's sequel, led by an excellent ensemble of women, pays tribute to the hard loss of Boseman/T'Challa by exploring how grief (and revenge) can be all-consuming. It feels like Shuri is speaking for the fans when she cries out and wonders how life can go on without her brother. But, step by step, the influential women of Wakanda (with backup from Winston Duke's M'Baku and Martin Freeman 's Agent Ross) manage to safeguard their homeland and prepare for yet another battle -- not for leadership of the kingdom, but for its very existence. Bassett and Wright do a beautiful job with their emotional scenes as mother and daughter, queen and princess. There's an authentic tenderness to their interactions that's mirrored in all of the women's relationships, even Nakia ( Lupita Nyong'o ), who's now the headmistress of a school in Haiti but agrees to help Wakanda defeat Namor. Although W'Kabi's ( Daniel Kaluuya ) absence is felt nearly as keenly as T'Challa's, at least his possible return to the franchise is left open. Meanwhile, award-winning TV star and comedian Michaela Coel joins the cast as another fierce and funny member of the Dora Milaje.

Coogler's interpretation of the canonical characters may not appeal to hardline comic book purists, but viewers who are more familiar with Marvel through the movies will appreciate the director's inclusion of complicated, morally gray antagonists who, while villainous, often make thought-provoking points. When Namor suggests an alliance between Black and Brown nations against the threat of greedy, colonizing forces, it frankly makes sense. Make friends, not foes, he says to Ramonda, even as he blackmails her with an ultimatum. Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter and composer Ludwig Göransson do a phenomenal job of adding Mayan-inspired costumes and music to the proceedings (the soundtrack includes tracks in Spanish and Mayan, as well as "Lift Me Up," a lovely Rihanna ballad). Mexican actor Huerta gives a nuanced performance as the intense Namor, but ultimately this movie belongs to the women of Wakanda, who pull off the nearly unimaginable feat of proving that the story can go on.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how the filmmakers handled the continuation of the Black Panther series without Boseman as T'Challa. Do you agree with the decision not to recast the role in Wakanda Forever ?

Why is representation important in movies, shows, and books? What progress have superhero movies made when it comes to diverse characters? What do you think of the racial and gender representation in this movie compared to that of other superhero films?

How does the movie explore issues related to race? What do you think of the story pitting Black Africans and Indigenous Mexicans against one another? What's the message about what happens when Black and Brown people fight instead of collaborate?

Discuss the role of women in the movie. How are Ramonda, Shuri, Okoye, Nakia, and the other Dora Milaje unique in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Why is it still uncommon for women to hold positions of power in movies (not just superhero movies)?

Talk about the theme of grief and loss in the story. Was it necessary? Do you think there should be another Black Panther movie?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 11, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : February 1, 2023
• Cast : Angela Bassett , Letitia Wright , Tenoch Huerta , Danai Gurira
• Director : Ryan Coogler
• Inclusion Information : Black directors, Female actors, Black actors, Black writers
• Studio : Disney/Marvel
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Superheroes
• Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 161 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sequences of strong violence, action and some language
• Awards : Academy Award , Common Sense Selection , Golden Globe
• Last updated : March 14, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Let’s Talk About . . . ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

by Christian Standard | 2 December, 2022 | 1 comment

Movies bring people of all backgrounds together like few other events. We want to provide talking points to help you take conversations about movies with family and friends to a deeper, spiritual level. Starting from this common ground, you can find opportunities to share your own faith experience with others. Check out the discussion questions at the end.  

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  

PG-13 • 2022 • Action/Adventure • 2 hours 41 minutes   

Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta   

——– 

By Andrew Wood  

It’s been two years since Black Panther fans were stunned by the sudden loss of lead actor Chadwick Boseman to cancer. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an extended tribute to his character, King T’Challa, and a passing of the torch to a new generation as the kingdom of Wakanda faces unprecedented global threats. In the process, the audience is challenged to reflect on issues of grief, generational change, and the rise and decline of global powers.  

THE BACKSTORY  

In the previous film, Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) , Wakanda appears to the world to be an ordinary, developing African nation. In reality, it sits on a rare resource called “vibranium” which it has used to develop highly advanced technology and cloak itself from the world. After his father’s death, Prince T’Challa (Boseman) struggles for the throne with Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who plans to use Wakanda’s technology to incite a global revolution. T’Challa comes out on top, but not before the world discovers Wakanda’s true abilities and their source. 

NECESSARY MOURNING  

In this new installment of the Black Panther franchise, T’Challa succumbs to an undisclosed illness before his scientist-sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) can devise a cure. The whole kingdom joins her and Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) in an elaborate mourning ritual combining African cultural elements with futuristic technologies. 

Grieving the loss of a loved one is a universal experience that connects moviegoers with the film’s protagonists. More than that, the funeral sequence feels like something fans themselves needed to mark the passing not just of a fictional character, but of the deeply beloved actor who played the role. 

WAKANDA ON THE DEFENSIVE  

Without T’Challa’s leadership, Wakanda faces huge international threats. The United States, France, and other world powers demand that Wakanda share vibranium with the rest of the world and are determined to get it, whether by force or by exploration for new sources. Queen Ramonda refuses to share vibranium, fearing it will be used for destructive purposes.   

Traditional world powers are not Wakanda’s only threat, however. American deep-sea exploration disturbs another well-hidden kingdom built upon an undersea source of vibranium. This aquatic, Mesoamerican-based culture Talokan is led by a fiercely protective mutant warrior named Namor. With vibranium’s secret out, Namor is determined that neither Wakanda nor any other nation will be a threat to his people.  

TOUGH, REAL ISSUES  

A key achievement of the Black Panther franchise is its ability to tackle some of the most controversial issues of our time in ways that can reach all audiences. Its fantasy genre allows us to see issues from another perspective in a way we might miss in the real world.  

For example, in Wakanda, women are completely equal to men and serve in leadership positions in government, the military, and technology. It’s not remarked upon, but simply shown as a fact of their society. Men might clash with female leaders on policy issues, but never on the basis of gender. 

Wakanda Forever has an even stronger anti-colonial theme running through it than the first movie. World powers are assumed to be rapacious and untrustworthy, and their concerns about Wakanda monopolizing a world-changing (or world-destroying) technology are dismissed. Namor of Talokan is less a villain than an anti-hero. With his people’s back story of having survived Spanish conquistadors, he becomes such a sympathetic character, at times it’s hard not to root for him in battle scenes.  

WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT US?  

Comic books and the films based upon them often draw from current cultural themes. Thus, they can be a barometer of how the secular culture views certain issues. Seen in this way, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a reflection on the passing of national leadership to a new generation of leaders, and international leadership to developing nations.  

No doubt about it, the movie leaves us with some anxiety about what is to come in a world of rapid and radical change. But it also leaves us with hope that younger people will be able to combine the best of the past with the discoveries of the future, as the kingdom of Wakanda itself does.   

_ _ _ 

If you’d like to take your discussion of this movie with others to a deeper level, try some of these questions: 

• How has your life been touched by grief, and what helped you start to heal from it? 
• In the real world, which countries do you think are declining in influence, and which are growing? How could this affect us and future generations in positive and not-so-positive ways? 
• Are there areas of society where gender distinctions should be maintained, or should we try to erase distinctions? Explain. 
• Movies of the past often had clear villains and heroes. In today’s movies, those distinctions are not always so clear. Why do you think that is, and what does that say about the time in which we live? 
• What gives you hope for the future even when it seems clear it will be very different from the past? 

Andrew Wood, a former missionary to Ukraine and professor at Nebraska Christian College, is a freelance writer.     

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as the 7th and final film for Phase 4, which started with Black Widow last year.

This phase has certainly been odd for MCU fans. It’s had some genuine strengths like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: No Way Home , while the remainder like The Eternals , Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , and Thor: Love and Thunder were received mostly to mixed or negative audience reactions (although it seems my reviews for all three were typically more optimistic than general opinions). It will be curious to see if the devoted fans of the first Black Panther (2018) film will show up to support this film or if it is dismissed by MCU fans.

Content Guide

Violence/Scary Images : No gore or extreme violence but some frightening images of battles, including death and injury. Language/Crude Humor : Some severe language including s***. Drug/Alcohol References:  None. Sexual Content : Some scantily dressed female characters. Two women implicitly in a relationship kiss each other. Spiritual Content : A Catholic priest is murdered in a flashback. The film explores ancestor worship and a Pagan version of the afterlife, and one character is worshipped as a demigod. Other Negative Content: Themes of hatred, violence, war, and death. Positive Content : Themes of forgiveness, justice, and peace.

I don’t envy the position that writer/director Ryan Coogler must’ve found himself in August 2020 with the death of Chadwick Boseman . Few actors have the reputation for being a perfect mensch quite like he did. He was an active Christian, a deeply philanthropic person, and an actor who used his celebrity status to take on huge inspiring roles like Jackie Robinson in 42 , James Brown in Get On Up , Thurgood Marshall in Marshall , and King T’Challa in four MCU films. He worked in movies like Da 5 Bloods and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom almost up until his death from colon cancer at the age of forty-three.

Few films can survive having to be a sequel to a massively popular and successful film like the first Black Panther , but fewer films survive losing the main character of their series. I can thus excuse Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for feeling like a film that preemptively had the wind knocked out of it. This obviously isn’t the kind of sequel anyone involved with the production wanted to make, but you can’t just ignore the fact that your main character has died offscreen.

I am happy to say though that the movie does mostly come together in the end. Whatever you think of the original Black Panther —that it’s either one of the greatest blockbusters of the 2010s or an overrated MCU film—its sequel was in an unenviable position and manages to mostly come across as an ambitious work greater than the sum of its parts.

The film is set a year after the events of Avengers: Endgame . Shortly after being resurrected by the Infinity Gauntlet, T’Challa contracts an unstated illness offscreen and passes away. His sister Shuri is arguably the hardest hit by his death, struggling months later with an inability to move on and a pervasive sense that she should’ve found a way to save him using her scientific prowess.

When a young MIT scientist named Riri Williams succeeds in developing technology capable of finding a hidden vein of vibranium on the ocean floor, Shuri and her mother find themselves confronted by the mysterious demigod-like Namor, the king of the underwater civilization of Talokan—descendants of a Mayan civilization who also gained access to vibranium and built a hidden paradise under the seas. Namor demands Shuri deliver the scientist to him and form an alliance against the surface world.

There are a lot of ideas in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , and at times it feels like Coogler is throwing them at the wall to see what sticks. The film explores grief, the relationship between spirituality and science, the morality of vengeance, mother-daughter relationships, and the complicated relationships between oppressed groups of people and how they can or can’t align against their oppressors. Most of these ideas don’t quite work by themselves though.

A lot of the ideas in this film are recycled from the first film and Namor more or less feels like an attempt to make the Killmonger lightning strike twice. Tenoch Huerta does an admirable job though holding up one of the more cryptic, empathetic, and intimidating foes in a recent MCU film. Riri Williams as a character though has hardly anything to do and ends up being a plot device, only showing up to set up her role as the MCU’s next Iron Man.

It helps the film that Coogler did a lot of the nuts-and-bolts worldbuilding necessary to get this film off the ground. One of the film’s most interesting ideas is that Wakanda is in a very strange position as both the most powerful nation in the world and also a nation that is vulnerable. Kilmonger’s actions have destroyed the ability of the nation to ritually create new Black Panthers. The country still has powerful weapons and strong rulers but without a powerful protector, there is little to stop a superhuman from making serious threats.

Initially, this setup actually serves Shuri well. As the last descendent of his bloodline, she’s the rightful inheritor of the throne after her mother, and yet she’s mostly focused on her scientific work, considering the Black Panther to be an archaic ritual. Given she took on a more scientific pursuit, the movie leans into that in this film and makes her conflict that of a modern materialistic young woman struggling to grasp the spiritual significance of her family’s Pagan ancestor worship and spiritual beliefs, which make her feel more disconnected and alienated from the past than the rest of her family.

Again though, I don’t think a lot of these ideas received the focus they needed to work entirely on their own terms. Shuri and most of the side characters in the first film get a much larger spotlight and more interesting character development than we’ve seen previously, which works and is a testament to the strength of the first film that so much potential was left just on the margins. The film feels like it is missing the heart of the first movie but leaning into the real-life tragedy of Boseman’s death awarded the film needed pathos and helps it mostly stick the landing as a messy but touching blockbuster.

Kudos that this film had the good sense to not end on a post-credits stinger and let the story speak for itself.

+ Ambitious ideas + Solid performances + Respectful tribute to Boseman's death

- Underdeveloped themes - Some weakly explored characters and ideas

The Bottom Line

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a film that likely couldn't have lived up to the hype of its predecessor, but director Ryan Coogler does his best to make the challenging situation into a meaningful memorial for the sadly deceased actor.

Tyler Hummel

So overrated- and we all know why 🙄

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The center of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”—the sequel to the hugely popular “ Black Panther ,” and a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman —is sincere, even if the overall film feels manufactured. It begins with a funeral for the recently deceased King T'Challa. Shuri ( Letitia Wright ) and Queen Ramonda ( Angela Bassett ) are dressed in white, following the black coffin, whose top features a silver emblem of the Black Panther mask and the crossed arms of the Wakanda salute. Their mournful procession, winding through the kingdom, is contrasted with slow-motion tracking shots of dancers jubilantly dancing in memory of their fallen king. After the coffin arrives at a clearing, where it ceremoniously rises to the sky, we cut to an earnest, emotional montage of Boseman as T'Challa. The solemn, aching continuum of images soon forms the “Marvel Studios” logo, announcing that this is still a Marvel movie. And “Wakanda Forever” is all the worse for it. 

What was the secret ingredient for the success of “Black Panther”? Similar to the resplendent, secluded African nation of Wakanda, “Black Panther” existed just outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It mostly stood on its own without the crushing requirements felt by every other film: The humor existed between the characters, not as random references to another property; the characters (with Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue as an exception) were particular to the story; the concerns rarely drifted toward franchise building aspirations.

But writer/director Ryan Coogler and his co-writer Joe Robert Cole don't possess the same kind of freedom with this melancholy sequel. Some limitations aren't within their control, such as the tragic death of Boseman. Others feel like a capitulation to assimilate into a movie-making machine. 

The hulking script is chock-full of ideas and themes. Rather than fighting their common enemy (white colonists), two kingdoms helmed by people of color are pitted against each other (an idea that never thematically lands), and the film must delve into the cultural pain that still exists from the historical annihilation of Central and South America’s Indigenous kingdoms. It must also contend with a bevy of other requirements: setting up the Marvel TV series “Ironheart” (in which Dominique Thorne will star), acknowledging The Snap, grieving Boseman’s death, and finding a new Black Panther. These competing interests are no less smoothed out by MCU’s blockbuster demands (that this must be a mainstream hit and usher in the next phase of the cinematic universe) and the weight of satiating Black folks who feel seen by the fantastical confirmation of Black regalism. It’s too much for one movie. And you get the sense that this should’ve been two.     

At nearly every turn, "Wakanda Forever" fails, starting with its setup. Colonist countries, now afraid of an African superpower, are scouring the world, from sea to sea, searching for vibranium (the metallic ore that powers the African kingdom). A young scientist named Riri (Thorne, treated as a plucky afterthought) plays a role in a search that leads mercenaries deep underwater where they encounter Namor/Kukulkan (a menacing and bold Tenoch Huerta ), the king of Talokan, and his people, who are none too happy with the surface world. They want to destroy it. The godly Namor, his ears pointed to the sky, his winged feet fluttering, later surfaces in Wakanda. With water still dripping from his jade earrings and glimmering, vibranium-pearl-gold necklace, he approaches a still mournful Ramonda and a bitter Shuri with a threat masquerading as an alliance. His appearance causes Wakanda to turn to Everett Ross ( Martin Freeman ), which leads to other cameos and subplots that weigh down the entire film with franchise expectations. 

What’s imperative to “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is the way Coogler centers righteous rage. Ramonda’s first big scene is her admonishing the United Nations for expecting her to share vibranium with the world, even as they try to steal the resource from her nation. Bassett, with a capital-A, acts in a sequence where her voice booms, her gaze is fixed and unforgiving, and the venom is felt. And yet, Shuri, who has buried herself in her lab, developing dangerous weapons, feels worse. She wants to see the world burn. Their shared anger forces a spew of short-sighted decisions that lead to further escalations with Namor—who desperately angles to avenge his mother and his ancestors. The film attempts to position the trio as different stages of grief, but in trying to get viewers up to speed on the atrocities experienced by Namor, it becomes slow and overblown. 

Maybe somewhere a way existed to connect these arcs. But that would require better visual storytelling than the movie offers. Far too often, the dialogue stays on the surface, either by providing reams of exposition, externalizing exactly what’s on the character’s mind or by trying to meld together the real-life loss felt by the actors with that of the characters. The latter certainly offers these performers a necessary chance to process their hurt on screen, but when did filmmakers forget how to show without telling? Why are contemporary blockbusters so enamored with holding the audience’s hand by providing every minute detail? At one point, after Namor explains his entire backstory, Shuri responds with, “Why are you telling me all of this?” It feels like a note Coogler gave to himself.  

The shortcomings in dialogue and story, and how often “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” bows to IP-driven needs, would be easier to stomach if the visual components weren’t so creaky. The jittery fight sequences are too difficult to follow: inelegant compositions blur into an incomprehensible sludge with every cut by editors Michael P. Shawver , Kelley Dixon , and Jennifer Lame . Admittedly, there were projection issues with my screening of the film, so I will refrain from totally dismissing the all-too-dark lighting, but the actual framing by cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, working with the film’s copious visual effects, lacks a sense of space anyways. Scenes of everyday life in Wakanda—Black folks shopping, communities laughing and enjoying each other’s company—that once filled the viewer with joy feel artificial here. The vast landscapes of the nation, which once were filled with splendor, are now murky backgrounds. Some of that awe is recaptured when we see Talokan and its immense Mayan architecture and decorative wall paintings. But you wish, much like “Black Panther,” that Namor was first given his movie where these scenes could breathe, and we could become as integrated into this kingdom as we became in Wakanda. 

Ultimately, this film attempts to set up the future through Shuri. Wright is a talented actress with the ability to emotionally shoulder a movie when given good material. But she is constantly working against the script here. She fights past a cringe cameo; she fights past clunky jokes; she fights past an ending that feels all too neat. An assured and charismatic Winston Duke as M’Baku is there to help, and a misused Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia is there for assistance. Okoye, played by Danai Gurira , provides resilience. And new addition Michaela Coel (“I May Destroy You”) as Aneka, a quirky character who tonally doesn’t work in this somber ensemble, is there for comic relief ... I guess? In any case, the collective front of these performers isn't enough to stem the tide of a movie that relies on shouting matches and broad visual and political metaphors that have been boiled down to their uncomplicated essence rather than their complex truths (which isn’t unlike Rihanna’s turgid soundtrack offering “Lift Me Up”). 

A major sea battle ensues, new, ropey gadgets are employed, and loose ends are inarticulately tied. Another montage dedicated to Boseman occurs, and while the film is messy, you’re relieved that it begins and ends on the right foot. That is, until the saccharine post-credit scene. I’m not sure what Coogler was thinking. He had more weight on him for this movie than any filmmaker deserves. But when this scene occurred, I audibly groaned at what amounts to a weepy, treacly moment that’s wholly unnecessary, emotionally manipulative, and partially unearned. It’s one of the many instances where “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” might have its heart in the right place but is in the wrong mindset and the worst space—at the center of a contrived cinematic universe—to mourn on its own terms.  

Available in theaters on November 11th.

Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels is an Associate Editor at RogerEbert.com. Based in Chicago, he is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) and Critics Choice Association (CCA) and regularly contributes to the  New York Times ,  IndieWire , and  Screen Daily . He has covered film festivals ranging from Cannes to Sundance to Toronto. He has also written for the Criterion Collection, the  Los Angeles Times , and  Rolling Stone  about Black American pop culture and issues of representation.

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Film credits.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action and some language.

161 minutes

Letitia Wright as Shuri / Black Panther

Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia

Angela Bassett as Ramonda

Danai Gurira as Okoye

Winston Duke as M'Baku

Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart

Tenoch Huerta as Namor

Florence Kasumba as Ayo

Michaela Coel as Aneka

Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross

Mabel Cadena as Namora

Alex Livinalli as Attuma

Danny Sapani as M'Kathu

Isaach de Bankolé as River Tribe Elder

Gigi Bermingham as French Secretary of State

• Ryan Coogler

Writer (story by)

• Joe Robert Cole

Cinematogapher

• Autumn Durald Arkapaw
• Jennifer Lame
• Michael P. Shawver
• Kelley Dixon
• Ludwig Göransson

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• There’s a Gaping Hole at the Center of <i>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</i>—and It’s No One’s Fault

There’s a Gaping Hole at the Center of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever —and It’s No One’s Fault

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , Ryan Coogler’s follow-up to the resplendent 2018 Marvel adventure Black Panther , offers spectacle to spare. The production design, once again by Hannah Beachler, balances elaborate manmade glamour with the glory of the natural world, as represented by the landscape of the African fantasy kingdom of Wakanda. When Angela Bassett’s imperious Queen Ramonda holds court, she does so from a throne shaped like the stylized horns of a stag beetle—it’s both elegant and menacing, more Philippe Starck than Tony Stark. And Ruth Carter’s costumes are possibly even more glorious than those she created for the first film: Ramonda, in particular, gets a bevy of fantastic looks, including a royal gown of deep red traced with intricate brown embroidery, not to mention an assortment of out-of-this-world flying-saucer crowns. Wakanda Forever is grand, all right. Yet there’s not much Coogler, or anyone, can do about the gaping hole at its center: With no Chadwick Boseman , it’s missing a measure of magic, a sad reality that’s no one’s fault.

The film, now streaming on Disney+, opens with an ending: Wakandan princess and genius scientist Shuri (Letitia Wright, appealing as always) scrambles to find a way to save her dying brother, T’Challa, the king of Wakanda as well as the mystical superhero Black Panther. She can’t pull it off: Ramonda appears, her grief vibrating beneath her stoic bearing, to tell her that her brother has died. The funeral is a half-somber, half-celebratory affair, a mix of melancholy remembrance and life-affirming rituals, complete with dancers in fringed skirts and feathery headdresses. T’Challa’s coffin, carried by its team of all-woman warrior pallbearers—including Danai Gurira’s Okoye, showing nothing but betraying every mote of sorrow even so—is eventually relinquished to the sky, where it’s subsumed into a triangular ceremonial object and whisked off, gone forever. In this opening scene, T’Challa is barely a whisper, though his absence hangs over the rest of the film as a kind of meta-presence.

Brushing aside her grief for duty, Queen Ramonda takes the throne as Wakanda’s ruler. Getting back to work, she attends a United Nation summit in which she dresses down a snippy French ambassador who’s trying to get her hands on Wakanda’s most precious resource, Vibranium, for her country’s own use. (This moment is a delight; Bassett throws shade like nobody’s business.) Everyone in the world wants Vibranium, and Wakanda is the only place that’s got it—or so the citizens of Wakanda believe.

Meanwhile, Shuri is so distraught over the loss of her brother that she can barely function anywhere outside her laboratory. Her mother tries to counsel her but can’t break through; their relationship has a believably prickly emotional texture. Soon, though, these two have problems beyond themselves, in the form of an underwater nation of blue people who threaten Wakanda’s equilibrium. This civilization, known as Talokan and springing from ancient Mayan roots, is a little like Atlantis crossed with Studio 54—it hardly seems like a threatening place. But its ruler, Namor (Tenoch Huerta), a god-man with pointed ears and wings sprouting from his ankles, isn’t particularly easy to read. He shows up in Wakanda, unannounced and aggressive, half-seeking, half-demanding that country’s aid in mounting a defense against the outside world, which has gotten a little too close to Talokan’s closely guarded secrets.

Read More: The Revolutionary Power Of Black Panther

The story that follows takes a million twists, seemingly operating on the logic that modern audiences want more twists for their dollar. (The script is by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole; the movie clocks in at roughly two hours and 40 minutes.) It hasn’t occurred to anyone at the MCU helm that the truly revolutionary thing would be to make a movie with fewer and better twists, one that focuses more on the relationships between characters than on tossing in one—or two, or three—extra battle scenes. What if these movies were scaled down a bit, trimmed into something lean and potent rather than just long? Wakanda Forever is set in a world that many people desperately want to revisit—in the first film, Wakanda and its citizens were so vivid it’s no wonder they took a hold on us. But Wakanda Forever feels a lot like Marvel business as usual, marred by the usual muddily rendered action sequences and ungainly plot mechanics.

It also has lots of extra pockets, sewn on to make room for all the characters audiences expect to see, as well as some new ones. Lupita Nyong’o returns as Nakia, essentially T’Challa’s widow, but doesn’t get a whole lot to do. Martin Freeman again plays CIA guy Ross; his story feels wedged in. Dominique Thorne plays teenage supergenius Riri Williams—she and Shuri forge a bond that’s intriguing but barely explored. The movie’s most compelling dynamic is the electricity between mother-and-daughter Ramonda and Shuri, but that, too, is frustratingly muted, despite Wright’s agile charm and Bassett’s beneath-the-surface warmth.

Read More: Chadwick Boseman, Who Died at 43, Brought Joy and Taught Us About Ourselves. All While Quietly Fighting for His Life

When the Black Panther returns, late in the story, the picture briefly springs to life. (Again, Carter has outdone herself with the costume, a matte-black suit streaked and dotted with metallic gold and silver, a kind of 1930s art deco vision filtered through a 1980s Tron sensibility.) Wakanda Forever is clearly designed to be “about” grief. But that doesn’t mean it deals with grief in a particularly deep or significant way. This must have been an incredibly difficult film to make, for the obvious reasons: how does a filmmaker and his cast carry on after the loss of such a dazzling colleague? But ticking boxes isn’t the same as pulling magic—or even just insight—from thin air. The picture’s most stirring moments come near the end, where we get brief flashback glimpses of Boseman as T’Challa. For those few seconds, he radiates everything that’s missing from Wakanda Forever. The sad reality is that the show must go on, and without him, it’s just more of the same. Our job is to pretend it’s enough.

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‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Review: Women on the Home Front

Shadowed by Chadwick Boseman’s death, this sequel focuses on King T’Challa’s mother and the women helping her to contend with a slippery new villain.

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By A.O. Scott

The first “Black Panther” movie opened in February 2018. A lot has changed since then, both in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in the one that most of us non-superheroes are compelled to inhabit.

The most tragic and consequential change was surely the death, in 2020, of Chadwick Boseman , whose performance as King T’Challa had seemed to signal the arrival of a franchise-defining new star. Even before that, the Marvel/Disney corporate strategy was shifting into a post- “Avengers” phase, as the familiar heroes were dispersed into a multiplatform multiverse of stories, sometimes joined by alternative versions of themselves. And of course, here in the real world…

Let’s not even go there. The political situation in the fictional African nation of Wakanda is complicated enough. In “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the director Ryan Coogler feeds his own and the public’s grief into the story, infusing the movie with somber notes of family loss and collective mourning. There is also a sense of the disorder that follows in the wake of a charismatic, unifying leader.

T’Challa’s mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), has assumed the throne, at least for the moment. His younger sister, the scientific prodigy Shuri (Letitia Wright), scrambles to honor her brother’s memory and fill his shoes. The center is holding, but the kingdom nonetheless seems vulnerable, as the outside world conspires to gain access to Wakanda’s reserves of vibranium, a rare mineral with daunting military and industrial uses. The benevolent global order that T’Challa led his nation into has given way to one based on deceit, subversion and exploitation.

Thanks to Ramonda’s regal diplomatic skills and the fighting prowess of the Jabari, led by M’Baku (Winston Duke), and the Dora Milaje, led by the mighty Okoye (Danai Gurira), Wakanda can hold its own against the United States and France. The real threat comes from under the sea, where the long-isolated aquatic nation of Talokan controls the planet’s only other source of vibranium.

The king of Talokan, who goes by Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) is a demigod with pointy ears and wings on his ankles. Comic-book fans will recognize him as the Sub-Mariner, a complicated hero whose pedigree stretches all the way back into late-1930s Marvel prehistory. For the purposes of “Wakanda Forever,” he is a villain, albeit one with a legitimate grudge and a coherent political argument.

His subjects are descendants of a Meso-American tribe who took to the water to escape Spanish colonizers in the 16th century. His mistrust of “the surface” is based on a history of enslavement, infection and persecution, and he proposes a mutually protective anti-imperialist alliance with Wakanda. Which sounds nice, except that the alternative Namor offers is war, and also the murder of Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), a precocious M.I.T. student who has invented a vibranium-detecting machine.

If this sounds like too much plot summary, that’s because “Wakanda Forever,” like many Marvel movies, has too much plot. There are a lot of characters to keep track of. Shuri has acquired a sidekick in the person of Riri, while Okoye has one in Aneka (Michaela Coel). The Wakanda-sympathizing C.I.A. man Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) is back, and spends some time squabbling with his boss (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who is also his ex-wife. Since this is, above all, a special-effects-heavy action movie, there are fistfights, vehicle chases, underwater and midair battles, high-tech suits and seat-rattling explosions.

A Marvel movie, for sure. But a pretty interesting one, partly because it’s also a Ryan Coogler film, with the director’s signature interplay of genre touchstones, vivid emotions (emphasized by Ludwig Goransson’s occasionally tooth-rattling score) and allegorical implications. Because the Avengers have, for the moment, disassembled, it’s no longer necessary to slot Wakanda and its heroes into a larger cosmic ensemble, which gives the busy narrative a welcome degree of focus and specificity. As in “Black Panther,” the questions of Wakandan identity — who will lead it, and what kind of a country will it be — are brought into relief by an apparent bad guy with a good or at least plausible answer.

Namor has in common with T’Challa’s nemesis Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) — and also with Magneto from the X-Men films and Koba from the first chapters of “Planet of the Apes” — a grievance-based radicalism that the movie struggles to refute. Huerta’s performance is weighted more with sorrow than anger, and his people, with their blue skins and gill-like masks, are beautiful and mysterious. Talokan, a kind of Mayan Atlantis, adds a new aesthetic element to the Marvel palette, extending the Afro-futurist visions of Hannah Beachler’s production design and Ruth Carter’s costumes into something wondrously cosmic and cosmopolitan.

In T’Challa’s absence, Wakanda has become, at least for the moment, a matriarchy, and “Wakanda Forever” displays a matter-of-fact superhero feminism grounded in the personalities of the performers and their characters. Bassett, Wright, Gurira, Williams and Coel — rejoined by Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, who shows up a bit late in the action — form the kind of fractious, formidable ensemble that should be a franchise in its own right. And quite possibly will be. It’s called “Wakanda Forever,” and in the Marvel Universe that sounds less like a slogan than a terms of service guarantee.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Rated PG-13. The usual bloodless comic-book slaughter. Running time: 2 hours 41 minutes. In theaters.

An earlier version of this review misspelled an actress’s given name. She is Dominique Thorne, not Dominque.

How we handle corrections

A.O. Scott is a co-chief film critic. He joined The Times in 2000 and has written for the Book Review and The New York Times Magazine. He is also the author of “Better Living Through Criticism.” More about A.O. Scott

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• DVD & Streaming

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

• Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• November 11, 2022
• Letitia Wright as Shuri; Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia; Angela Bassett as Ramonda; Danai Gurira as Okoye; Winston Duke as M'Baku; Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart; Florence Kasumba as Ayo; Michaela Coel as Aneka; Tenoch Huerta as Namor; Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross; Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine; Mabel Cadena as Namora; Alex Livinalli as Attuma

Home Release Date

• February 1, 2023
• Ryan Coogler

Distributor

• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Movie Review

The king is gone. And with him went so much more.

As king, T’Challa defended his throne against a vicious usurper and opened the secluded, advanced nation of Wakanda to the rest of the world. As the superhero Black Panther, he became an Avenger and battled Thanos in an (unsuccessful) attempt to stop the despot from destroying half the universe. He was a consummate politician, a gifted statesman, a dutiful son, a beloved king.

And when he died of an incurable disease that not even Wakanda’s glorious technology could cure, it robbed the country of more than its leader. That disease stole a bit of its hope, too.

Perhaps T’Challa could’ve opened his country to the world and made friends with it, too. But now that he’s gone, the globe’s other powers are hungry for Vibranium, the almost magical metal that makes Wakanda so unique. They want that Vibranium, and they’re not too particular about how they get it. With Wakanda robbed not just of King T’Challa, but its protector Black Panther, foreign governments sense weakness … and opportunity.

Perhaps T’Challa would’ve known what to do with the mysterious underwater realm that also (much to Wakanda’s surprise) has a wealth of Vibranium. When T’Challa revealed Wakanda and Vibranium to the world, it put this realm—Talokan—in danger. Now its pointy-eared, winged-ankled ruler, Namor, wants to wage war on the surface world to protect his own. He’d like Wakanda to join the cause, but if the country refuses?

“I have more soldiers than this land has blades of grass,” he tells Wakanda’s Queen Ramonda.

T’Challa is no more. It’s up to his mother, Ramonda, and his talented sister, Shuri, to pilot Wakanda. And while Wakanda’s king may be gone, perhaps its protector, Black Panther, may not have followed suit.

Positive Elements

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a violent movie: Hardly a surprise, right? This is a superhero flick, after all. But the film is at its best not when people are being attacked, but when people are being saved .

No one is saved more in this story than a talented young MIT student named Riri Williams. She’s invented a device that can actually detect Vibranium, making it an incredibly powerful tool in the hands of a country that wants some (and a massive danger to those who have some). The first thing on Namor’s villainous to-do list is to kill Riri to protect his country. And that’s something that Shuri and Ramonda are determined to prevent. They both go to huge lengths to save the 19-year-old scientific prodigy, risking their own lives in the process.

They’re both determined to save their own people, of course, too. And even when an apparent enemy lies dying, Shuri’s willing to tarry to save her if she can.

As the movie goes on, Shuri becomes more conflicted and ruthless. We see a couple of her confidants encourage her to be mindful of her late brother’s example—to do the right things for the right reasons and to always show compassion. Whether she takes that advice or not, we’ll not reveal here: It’s still good advice.

But as was the case in the first movie, Okoye is perhaps Wakanda Forever’ s most principled and dutiful character. As head of Wakanda’s elite, all-female strike force, Okoye’s loyalty to her country is unquestioned and inspiring—especially when it appears that her services are no longer appreciated. Even when Wakanda seems to turn its back on her, she’s always willing to help Wakanda, whatever is asked of her.

Spiritual Elements

The movie doesn’t bathe in the occultism of Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , nor swim in the ludicrously overpopulated heavens of Thor: Love and Thunder . But Wakanda Forever still has plenty to talk about.

First, Namor. In a departure from his Atlantean roots in Marvel’s comics, the undersea ruler is associated with Mesoamerican mythological systems. His watery realm was allegedly a gift from Chac, the Mayan god of water; and his people consider Namor to be a god himself. (He’s apparently considered the Feathered Serpent of those Mesoamerican pantheons, called K’uk’ulkan in Namor’s native Mayan language and Quetzalcoatl by the Aztecs.)

It should be noted, though, that while his people consider him a god, he’s not one: Just a guy with some pretty special abilities. In flashback, we see a young Namor see some of his ethnic kin in chains as their overseer and a Catholic priest stand side by side. Later, after Namor shows his ability to fly and wreaks a bit of vengeance on this apparent colonial settlement (perhaps a religious mission), the priest calls him a “son of Satan.”

The Wakandans have their own faith traditions. Their prime god is called Bast (based in the comics on an ancient Egyptian deity), and there’s a certain level of ancestor reverence and worship that goes on within the country (including visions and conversations with certain ancestors who’ve passed on to the next life).

Peel back that Wakandan spiritual window dressing, though, and Wakanda Forever becomes, at least partly, a rumination on faith itself.

Shuri is an unbeliever—so made in part through grief. Early in the movie we hear her pray to Bast for the life of her brother—telling the god that if T’Challa recovers, she’ll never doubt his existence again. T’Challa does die, of course, and it pushes Shuri—who already trusts technology more than her people’s spiritual tradition—into something akin to atheism.

When her mother insists that she’s felt T’Challa’s presence, Shuri rejects that suggestion. “He wasn’t there, Mother,” she says. “The presence that you felt was just a construct of your mind.” And when she experiences a vision of the afterlife and meets someone from her past, Shuri even denies that she saw anything at all. Without going into where Shuri eventually lands spiritually, I think we can say that the movie itself suggests that there’s more to us than what we can scientifically measure, that there is a soul that goes on.

Sexual Content

Two women seem to be in a relationship. (We see one kiss the other on the head, and the recipient calls the kisser “my love”.) We learn that a couple of characters had a child out of wedlock. A woman’s exposed, pregnant belly is seen underwater.

Many characters wear slightly revealing or curve-hugging garments, and guys sometimes go about shirtless (especially Namor’s undersea people). We learn that Everett Ross, a CIA agent friendly to Wakanda, was once married to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the agency’s apparent head. She compliments him on his fitness, asks about whether his home gym is working out—and then makes a saucy double entendre referencing riding his Peloton.

Violent Content

As mentioned, Wakanda Forever is flush with violence, ranging from one-on-one melees to battles featuring hundreds. People are shot (with traditional weapons and various types of ray guns), stabbed, shocked (and sometimes stabbed and shocked simultaneously) and even impaled. Various combatants fight with spears and knives and staffs and clubs, and Namor’s people have watery bombs they like to deploy. Cars and other vehicles careen and crash and sometimes explode.

While all that is fairly typical in the superhero genre, sometimes this violence pits superheroes and law enforcement against each other—an element that might warrant a conversation or two with young viewers.

A few other disturbing elements to note.

Namor’s people apparently have the ability to sing like mythological Sirens and lure listeners to their deaths. (We see many jump off ships to their dooms.) A city is destroyed: We see civilians caught in the wreckage as watery explosions go off everywhere, obliterating walls and collapsing buildings. Someone drowns. Someone else risks death by oxygen deprivation. We see several funerals.

Crude or Profane Language

We hear the s-word seven times. Also overheard: “A–,” “h—” and “p-ss.” God’s name is misused twice.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Both Wakanda and Namor’s realm of Talokan are tied to mystical plants that are impacted by something in Vibranium. In a flashback, we see Namor’s ancestors drink the stuff and lose their ability to breath air. (Namor, the first of the following generation, is completely at home in both air and water.) In Wakanda, a mixture made of a glowing flower (synthetically reproduced by Shuri after the country’s natural crop was destroyed in the last Black Panther movie) sends those who drink it into a spiritual/hallucinogenic state and confers upon them superhuman powers (most notably strength and agility).

Other Negative Elements

Other countries, especially the United States, take on the role of secondary villains here. We learn that one such country sent mercenaries into a Wakandan stronghold to apparently steal Vibranium, and a couple of U.S. agencies seem to be operating outside both the letter and spirit of the law.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been home to many a challenge: Its superheroes have faced everything from power-hungry businessmen to universe-breaking tyrants to secret evils inside their very own operations.

But the movie production of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever faced perhaps the most difficult challenge in the MCU’s history: The loss of its star.

The shadow of Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa/Black Panther in four movies before his untimely death from cancer in 2020, hangs heavily over Wakanda Forever . Disney and Marvel did right not to replace him. And closing the door on T’Challa’s story while handing the Black Panther mantel over to someone else allows Wakanda Forever to lean into a truth that superhero movies rarely do: Sometimes people—even people we care about greatly—die. Sometimes no amount of heroism can save them.

Wakanda Forever is at its strongest when it leans into this uncomfortable, core truth. We see people mourn and struggle to move on. We see characters grieve and rage at the unfairness of it all. And in its own superhero way, it whispers another important truth to us. As Ramonda tries to tell a disbelieving Shuri, “T’Challa is dead. But that doesn’t mean that he is gone.” Death might be an end, but it’s not necessarily the end.

Those simple emotions, those simple truths, buoy Wakanda Forever in what otherwise would’ve been a murky, overlong, overstuffed, CGI stew.

The film comes with all the warning flags of your typical MCU film: The unremitting violence, the language, the sensual outfits and a tiny bit of innuendo. And looked at from a strictly biblical worldview, the spiritual ideas it proffers don’t align with Christian teaching (though some broader faith observations, as mentioned, can nevertheless be observed). It can teeter on the edge of been-there, done-that irrelevance. There’s only so many climactic CGI battles one can see before they start to all look the same.

But Wakanda Forever remembers—almost in the nick of time—what fans truly love about the MCU: The people. The characters. How, for all their powers, they feel like us, and how we see ourselves in them.

When we see Shuri shed tears for brother T’Challa, we understand. We feel. And perhaps, for both the character and actor, we in the audience wipe a tear away, too.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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The First Reactions to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Are In

Critics are calling Ryan Coogler's sequel an emotional journey—and a fitting tribute to Chadwick Boseman.

The Marvel film, which introduces new characters such as RiRi Williams (Dominique Thorne) and Namor (Tenoch Huerta), held its world premiere in Hollywood on Wednesday night. At the event, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said that Boseman's body of work would "last forever," and that "generation after generation after generation will get to feel his presence." The film also reportedly featured a jaw-dropping end-credits tease and the first new song from Rihanna in over six years , titled "Lift Me Up." Massive praise on social media followed the premiere, with critics lauding Tenoch Huerta's performance and the sequel's tear-jerking, respectful homages to their fallen hero. "We know how this feels," Letitia Wright told reporters at the premiere. "We have to take a step away. I see my aunt locking my eyes with me, she’s very proud… It’s emotional. We’re trying to hold it together."

Before you prepare for the gamut of emotions you'll feel while watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, s ee what other spoiler-free comments critics made after the emotional night.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever review – a return with a raw emotional core

The loss of Chadwick Boseman is palpable in this sombre sequel, with magnificent performances for the late actor’s co-stars Angela Bassett and Letitia Wright

T he aching absence of Chadwick Boseman, who played King T’Challa in the first Black Panther film and who died, aged 43, in 2020, is not something that can be filled in a sequel. And wisely, returning director Ryan Coogler doesn’t try to do so. While other Marvel pictures can multiverse themselves out of questions of mortality should they so wish, Coogler leans into the pain shared by Boseman’s colleagues and fans alike and crafts an unexpectedly sober picture that explores the grieving process. And while not everything works – the Wakanda nation is threatened by a cerulean-hued aquatic warrior race, led by a mutant god called Namor (Tenoch Huerta) who is rather bewildering and inconsistent in his motives for conflict – the emotional core is raw, credible and affecting.

This is largely thanks to the commanding work of a magnificent Angela Bassett, as the queen who must balance her bereavement against her duty to her people, and Letitia Wright , excellent as T’Challa’s younger sister, Shuri. Tortured by the knowledge that her gifts in science and technology were insufficient to save her brother, Shuri evolves as a character, from the impish prodigy to a woman who has been shaped by her sadness and loss. Filling the vacancy left for a teen girl science whiz is Riri (Dominique Thorne, floundering in an underwritten role), an MIT undergrad who has invented a vibranium detector and effectively signed her own death warrant at the hands of the angry blue fish people.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Reviews

The pacing, demons, and storytelling monsters take down the film.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 27, 2023

“Wakanda Forever” is an epic, emotional and profound film that examines the impact of collective anguish.

Full Review | Oct 26, 2023

Apart from the overarching themes of death, loss, revenge and owning your destiny, and all the eye-popping battles atop barnacle-crusted whales and dolphins no less, Black Panther 2 works in the smaller, intimate moments too.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2023

This was a fantastic way to wrap out Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Full Review | Sep 23, 2023

Coogler uses the sequel to similarly popularize Mayan Futurism with the sumptuous introduction of the Talokans, which makes the Wakandans seem quotidian in comparison.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 16, 2023

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever rises to a difficult challenge with strong characters, superb acting and visual effects that are a marvel.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Aug 9, 2023

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a powerful treatise on grieving, and how that process can seep into every thought and action, even subconsciously.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 9, 2023

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may not quite measure up to its predecessor, but it leaves a proud, beautiful, silent tribute to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, telling an emotionally powerful, resonant story about how grief can truly be love persevering.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jul 25, 2023

Plays with ideas and characters that initially intrigue, but drowns them in tiresome excessive Marvel lore and universe expansion.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Jul 25, 2023

This sequel acts as an uplifting reminder that grief is real and losing someone close doesn't mean losing all hope in the power of community.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

Beautiful tribute about Grief & the cycle of violence. Epic in almost all standards but slower in pacing to tell a different kind of story in the MCU.

As evocative as it is in the film, light pierces through every shot, every storyline, and every performance, making it a remarkable love letter to grief and healing.

Full Review | Jul 23, 2023

Wakanda Forever is the best Black Panther sequel it could have been, acting both as a tribute to Boseman and a poignant story about change and rebirth.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 23, 2023

We deserve a story about Africanness and Diasporic Blackness that’s not hampered by the white gaze that would refuse us peace, justice, unity and vengeance. In the MCU, no matter who’s at the helm, that’s just not possible.

Full Review | Jul 20, 2023

Black Panther Wakanda Forever is undoubtedly one of the worst movies of the year and a clear indication for Marvel to start making movies again instead of peddling products that promote future products.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jul 20, 2023

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" doesn't have the punch that the first movie did, but how could it? Sequels rarely do.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 16, 2023

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is constrained by its genre and studio from being a great film. It is nonetheless an entertaining one with intriguing characters and intense visuals.

Full Review | Jun 14, 2023

A disappointment, especially compared to its excellent predecessor.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Mar 19, 2023

Wakanda Forever is very long and needed an intermission. You know it’s a Marvel movie because it’s steeped in boredom, with every scene threatening to not end.

Full Review | Mar 16, 2023

lack Panther: Wakanda Forever has the usual MCU mix of humour and fun action scenes but it's severely lacking a charismatic lead performer, and some of the lazy writing during the final third was frankly embarrassing. One of the weaker MCU efforts.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 27, 2023

Screen Rant

Black panther: wakanda forever review - a fitting, ambitious tribute to an icon.

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Few blockbusters have been as closely scrutinized as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . As the sequel to a groundbreaking, award-winning movie, the stakes were already incredibly high. Then, the unexpected and tragic passing of lead star Chadwick Boseman in 2020 shifted the plans for future Black Panther movies completely. Regardless of what might have been, Wakanda Forever is an incredibly ambitious movie, the kind of blockbuster that demands to be seen on the big screen — not because of its grand action scenes (though this one has plenty), but because of its broad scope. Though messy at times, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an impactful examination of grief aided by excellent character work and exhilarating action.

Save for its emotional opening, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever picks up one year after the death of T'Challa, Boseman's towering Marvel hero. In the time since his passing, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) has taken charge of Wakanda while Shuri (Letitia Wright) has thrown herself into her work in the hopes of arming her beloved homeland more than ever before. As Wakanda works to regain its foothold in a world eager to prey upon its vibranium resources, the country is faced with a unique threat: Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the leader of the underwater world known as Talokan. The surface world's growing interference on his home has led Namor to adopt a defensive stance against humans, and he wants Wakanda's help. However, his terms aren't as simple as signing a peace treaty. Shuri and Ramonda, along with several returning faces (and some new ones as well), are forced to find the best path forward while still mourning the loss of their Black Panther.

Related: Marvel Is Right To Wait On Black Panther 3

There's no question that returning director Ryan Coogler (who also co-wrote the film with Joe Robert Cole) was faced with a difficult task when taking on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . Some might disagree with the decision to center the film around T'Challa's death rather than recasting the character, but from the opening moments, it's clear the movie holds nothing but love for Boseman and all he stood for. It's hard not to think that when Ramonda or Shuri shed tears for T'Challa, Bassett and Wright were also crying for Boseman. Coogler and Cole smartly weave in quieter beats for the characters amidst the typical Marvel action. There are much-needed conversations that take place here, and they provide some welcome shades and depth for several characters. A strength of Black Panther was its supporting cast of characters. Wakanda Forever only builds upon that, whether it is by giving Jabari leader M'Baku (Winston Duke) a deeper characterization or letting Dora Milaje general Okoye (Danai Gurira) possess some stunning vulnerability. The cast as a whole is reliably excellent. Bassett gives a soaring performance as a devastated, yet impressively strong-willed queen, while Wright truly steps into her own here. Lupita Nyong'o also excels with a more developed Nakia.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduces two major Marvel Comics characters to the franchise, Huerta's aforementioned Namor and Iron Man successor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). Both performers sink into their roles right away and cement themselves as welcome additions to the MCU. Huerta especially proves to be one of the franchise's most compelling antagonists, lending Namor a layer of charisma and sympathy that, for a time at least, is hard to root against. Namor and Riri are among Wakanda Forever 's strengths, but their presence also serves as a reminder of just how much this movie has going on all at once. There's Wakanda's fight against Talokan, Riri's origin story, and the heroes' mounting grief, as well as a surprisingly entertaining (yet a tad extraneous) subplot involving Everett Ross (Martin Freeman). On top of all that, this is a Marvel sequel that goes to some dark places and takes some big swings. At times, Coogler and Cole's script seems to strain from the effort it takes to pull all these threads together, and while the final product isn't perhaps as clean as the first Black Panther , it is still a thrilling, emotional ride.

This is largely because Coogler moves between epic spectacle and quieter, contemplative moments with ease. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever falls just 20 minutes short of three hours, and that runtime comes down to how Coogler lets certain moments breathe rather than trying to rush through them. Of the action set pieces, Talokan's invasion of Wakanda (featured prominently in the trailers) is perhaps the standout, raising the stakes while eliciting genuine frissons of shock. Much has been said lately about Marvel's CGI and its questionable behind-the-scenes approach to such work, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever does suffer from this. Still, Coogler knows how to stage effective, gripping action sequences here, and they're at their best when they focus on the human side of it rather than the explosiveness of it all. Action aside, the craft work that earned the first movie some Oscars remains an MCU highlight in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . Ruth E. Carter's costumes are colorful and impressively designed, while production designer Hannah Beachler gets to design an underwater kingdom that, while perhaps not as vibrant as one might expect, sparks the imagination as Namor swims through Talokan and takes it all in.

Marvel's Phase Four has been somewhat controversial online, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will no doubt lead to debates. It's an MCU movie bursting with ideas, brilliant callbacks to the previous film, and piercing expressions of grief. After spending several movies diving into the multiverse or traversing the far reaches of space, the MCU has now offered one of its most poignant stories yet, and it largely pays off. Audiences will likely cheer and cry in equal measure. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a fitting tribute to an icon, and it paves an exciting way forward for the Marvel franchise while cementing itself as a cultural force to be reckoned with.

Next: My Father's Dragon Review: Gorgeous Animated Movie Runs On Empathy

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debuts in theaters Friday, November 11. The film is 161 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action, and some language.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review: A Powerfully Emotional Sequel Transforms the Franchise

Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) protect Wakanda from the fierce underwater King Namor (Tenoch Huerta).

Ryan Coogler achieves remarkable feats with a powerfully emotional sequel that reshapes a blockbuster franchise. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stands as the most mature and thoughtful film in the MCU . Coogler had to address the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman's King T'Challa, its devastating impact on the ensemble characters, and forging a new path with significant challenges . Wakanda faces existential threats for its Vibranium resources. As hostile countries clamor for the valuable ore, an undersea source is discovered with a fierce protector. Who would burn the above ground to ashes and never capitulate.

Wakanda reels from the unexpected death of King T'Challa. Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) assumes leadership with a broken heart. She gives the world a stark notice. The Black Panther is gone, but Wakanda remains undaunted. She will retaliate against any efforts by foreigners to steal Vibranium. Ramonda tries to make peace and accept the loss of her son. Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) doesn't share her mother's ability to cope with grief. Anger fuels her genius mind. She's haunted by her inability to recreate the Heart-Shaped Herb. Her beloved brother died because she wasn't strong or smart enough to save him.

Meanwhile, in the Atlantic Ocean, a specialized CIA device finds Vibranium on the sea floor. It unleashes a ferocious response from a long-hidden race of Mayan descendants. K'uk'ulkan (Tenoch Huerta), the king of Talokan, has seen the horrors of colonizing invaders. "The feathered serpent god", cursed as Namor by the terrified Spanish, won't allow his people's secret home to be known. He confronts Ramonda and Shuri with a deadly request. Wakanda and Talokan have the same enemies. Find and kill the Vibranium detector's creator (Dominique Thorne). Wakanda will suffer the same wrath as the outsiders if they disobey him.

Wakanda in the Absence of T'Challa

Wakanda's thrust into a geopolitical storm by the absence of T'Challa. They have what everyone else wants. Namor brands T'Challa as a betrayer of Wakanda and Talokan. He ignored established doctrine by revealing Vibranium and its capabilities. Ironically, Ramonda shares Namor's views about hiding technology but the proverbial cat's out of the bag. She takes orders from no one. The problem is that Namor and his lethal Talokan army outmatches Wakanda in every sense.

Wright becomes a star in this film. Shuri is a complex protagonist in deep turmoil. Spiritual guidance from ancestors on an astral plain means nothing to her. She embraces science and difficult truths. Wakanda is in danger. Her father and brother are gone. Ramonda wants her daughter to be the country's salvation and future. But Shuri must come to terms with her bitterness. Loyal protectors, Okoye (Danai Gurira), M'Baku (Winston Duke), and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), sadly watch as Shuri's resolve hardens into rage and fury. Her climactic showdown with Namor kicks so much butt it breaks a foot.

Related: Enola Holmes 2 Review: A Smashing Sequel Surpasses the Original Film

Wakanda Forever puts Avatar 2 on creative notice. The underwater scenes and Talokan production design are spectacular. Coogler brilliantly uses Mayan and Aztec tribal imagery to create incredible environments. The Talokans appear blue and wear water masks on land. They ride whales as attacking transport vessels. Their armor, tattoos, and piercings reflect a Mesoamerican identity. Huerta's Namor isn't chugging booze and cracking jokes like Aquaman. He's heart attack serious with zero compunction about killing for the cause. Flashback scenes tell Namor's origin story and how his people became ocean dwellers.

Strong Women Bolster Wakanda

Wakanda Forever extols African culture with female characters dominating the narrative. Ramonda needs the support of strong women to bolster Wakanda. But she doesn't accept failure or disobedience. A brutal condemnation is stunning. Her "mother" figure provides strength and moral compass. Shuri struggles mightily to fulfill Ramonda's expectations. This is the crux of the film. Audiences are going to be shocked where Shuri's arc leads.

There will be tears but no gushing rivers. Wakanda Forever tackles loss with deliberative structure. Boseman's presence is felt from the opening frames. Coogler pays tribute without succumbing to melancholy. He honors a departed friend by preserving and continuing Boseman's majestic legacy. The Black Panther's mantle is carried with courage and honor. Stick around during the credits for a major reveal.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a production of Marvel Studios. It will be released theatrically on November 11th from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures .

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ review: a magical memorial to Chadwick Boseman

Marvel's real-life superhero leaves a legacy that is felt throughout this blockbuster sequel

E arly in Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , the sequel to his own game-changing 2018 Marvel movie, Black Panther , we see a mural of King T’Challa on a wall. It won’t be the last time the leader of fictional African nation Wakanda – or Chadwick Boseman, the actor who played him – will be in our thoughts. “Time is running out” for T’Challa, aka the superhero Black Panther, who is dying of a mystery illness. Before we know it, he’s gone and the action moves on a year. It’s a typically classy way for Coogler to deal with the fact his own leading man, Boseman, died in August 2020 of colon cancer . 

In the intervening months, with T’Challa’s mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) now in charge, Wakanda has become vulnerable to raids on its resources – notably Vibranium. Yet when U.S. forces find a supply of this precious metal under sea, far from Wakanda, it brings to the surface a new enemy. Out of nowhere, soldiers and scientists working on the mining ship are hypnotised by a sonic attack, causing them to jump in the water and die.

Behind this is Namor (Tenoch Huerta, excellent), the leader of Talokan, a race who have lived hidden undersea, entirely undetected. With the search for Vibranium threatening the existence of the Talokans, he wants help from the Wakandan people, or they too will suffer consequences. Ramonda, along with T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Wakanda spy Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), must learn how to navigate this incendiary situation, while the question of who will take on the mantle of the Black Panther remains.

That the Talokan people are blue-ish creatures that exist underwater draws immediate comparisons with the mega-blockbuster Avatar – with Coogler’s sequel arriving shortly before James Cameron’s own long-awaited follow-up The Way of Water , hits cinemas in December. Given Cameron’s anti-Marvel and DC sentiments expressed in a New York Times piece, this feels like an amusing (if entirely unintended) riposte: Avatar doesn’t entirely have its own way when it comes to aquatic antics. 

As you would expect, there is plenty of top-grade action – both underwater and on the surface – especially with the arrival of Riri (Dominique Thorne). A genius tech student, who has built her very own Vibranium detector, therefore becoming of special interest to just about everyone, she’s also constructed her own Iron Man -style armoured suit. One particularly exhilarating chase through the city streets hints at what’s to come when Disney+ stream her spin-off show, Ironheart , next year.

Fans of I May Destroy You will also rejoice with a potent role for Michaela Coel as Wakandan warrior Aneka, but what really makes the film stand out is its mature atmosphere. This is about grief, more so than any other Marvel movie, and the legacy one leaves behind. “To me – he was everything. My T’Challa,” says Nakia, in a heartfelt moment that doubtless reflects the way many felt about Chadwick Boseman. The film finishes with a dedication to him – although maybe there was no need. Wakanda Forever is, itself, a fitting tribute to him.

• Director: Ryan Coogler
• Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyongo’o, Angela Bassett
• Release date: November 11 (in cinemas)
• Related Topics
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Marvel Cinematic Universe

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Jason Parham

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Is Not Your Typical Marvel Movie

The release of Black Panther was like nothing before it. The impact, immediate and abiding, was cosmic. That the film premiered during the Trump years, a dystopian period in 2018 when Black life felt more precarious than usual and the call for Black superheroes more urgent, gave its message a special charge. It was a phenomenon three times over—a commercial, critical, and cultural triumph.

King T’Challa was a new-age hero for a new, uncertain time. No stranger to larger-than-life roles, Chadwick Boseman brought poise and charisma to the performance alongside an all-star ensemble that included Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan. Black Panther had teeth, and it was smart enough to skirt the easy trap of representation in an industry starved for color and meaning. A credit to director Ryan Coogler and co-screenwriter Joe Robert Cole, the movie was about more than the miracle of being acknowledged; it was a measure of genuine progress. It spoke to us and we answered back. New Black futures—intricate and lush and free—were opening up.

Unforeseen in one of those futures was Boseman’s passing, in 2020, from colon cancer. Franchises are built on star power, and without Boseman, one of Marvel’s brightest and most promising, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is haunted by his absence , draped in the kind of sorrow that can’t be ignored. It’s rare for MCU films to channel the turbulence of grief with such unflinching focus ( WandaVision came close in its unconventional depiction of spousal heartache and its psychological aftershocks). The positioning is curious but effective. I hesitate to call Wakanda Forever a new kind of superhero blockbuster—it hasn’t totally reinvented the wheel—but it’s close. Coogler has equipped his sequel with a changed vocabulary: It speaks equally from a place of loss as it does triumph. Grief is its mother tongue.

The king is dead, and the eyes of the world are once again on Wakanda. Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) has assumed the throne, and, in the year since her son’s passing, done her best to maintain the African nation’s standing as a sovereign power. The only known nation to have it, Wakanda remains rich in vibranium—the mystical ore used to create cutting-edge weaponry and tech—and refuses to share its resources with allies (in one early scene, French soldiers attempt to steal some and quickly get their asses kicked by undercover Dora Milaje agents). Greed being the spark for all manner of conflict throughout history, Cooler and Cole are keen to jumpstart the story in such a way. The US government begins a vibranium-tracking operation in the Atlantic Ocean but it is mysteriously thwarted by an unknown power—the people of Talokan, an underwater empire home to the only other wellspring of vibranium on Earth.

Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) is their wounded leader, and hell bent on keeping Talokan’s existence a secret. He's got mutant superpowers—heightened strength, aquatic regeneration, and flight (thanks to the wings on his ankles)—and commands his nation with a meticulous, if forceful, hand. (In the comics, Namor is known as the Sub-Mariner and hails from Atlantis.) The mining operation threatens to expose his oceanic utopia so he devises a plan to stop it: kill the genius scientist who built the vibranium-tracking device (Riri Williams, introducing Ironheart to the MCU) and align with Wakanda against the surface world. But Wakanda refuses. And the two nations find themselves staring down almost certain war.

A war, as it turns out, that isn’t quite as persuasive as the animating principles behind it. Like the US government’s relentless appetite for global influence. Or the all-consuming rage Shuri (Letitia Wright) feels from the loss of her brother, and the very real way it drives her to action. Or how Namor’s villainy, if it should even be called that, is rooted somewhere deeper, somewhere more human. He’s cut from the cloth of classic MCU antiheroes. Like Wanda. Like Kang. Namor is regaled in paradox and not completely unjustified in his wrath. It’s all in how nicely his backstory is propped: He is the descendant of a 16th-century Meso-American tribe that fled enslavement and was forced to find refuge underwater. He’s a survivor from a people who learned to survive under horrific conditions. His morals have weight.

Matt Burgess

Kate O'Flaherty

Andy Greenberg

All of Coogler’s defining touchstones are present. He adopts the same diasporic hybridity that made the original Black Panther a singular feat (production designer Hannah Beachler and costume designer Ruth Carter both returned for the sequel ). This time, beyond Wakanda’s emerald fields and swarming marketplaces, we are introduced to Namor’s aquatic eden. What Beachler and Carter devised is a visual elixir that pulls from Mayan folklore: the dress, speech, and architecture are all threaded with striking Indigenous details. One of the great failures of the movie, however, is that we don’t spend more time meandering through the underwater city, getting insight into its people and their culture.

I’ve been told before that trauma freezes at the peak. It demands that we temper our pace, that we take stock of the totality of what’s happened, the bleeding ache of it. Ramonda and Shuri do their best to shoulder unimaginable grief, to remember what they lost. The thing is, superhero films—the narrative logic of them—demand a certain momentum. They need to keep moving. They flicker like a comic book, pane by pane, never resting too long before the next scene. Grief asks the opposite of us. It wants us to pause, to slow our steps. This is where Wakanda Forever is most at odds: It has a hard time deciding just what it should feel, what emotion it wants to land on. But maybe that’s the truer film. The more honest one. It’s not as neat. It’s unseemly but more vulnerable as a result.

The central aspect that makes Wakanda Forever a unique Marvel movie—grief as its centerpiece—is also the aspect I find least satisfying about it. Of course, you can’t ignore it in a film like this. You can’t avoid the fog that arises and the pain that feels like it might never leave. You have to circle it. You have to face it head on. In some way, you have to make it the story.

And what that looks like, what it beautifully materializes into in a movie like Wakanda Forever , is what it has always looked like: capable and caring Black women—mothers and sisters and friends—making use of the grief they’ve been saddled with and not letting it make use of them. Even in Afrofuturist utopias a fact of Black life is stubbornly persistent: Not even our superheroes can outmaneuver death.

And when they don’t prove invincible—what then? Those who remain find a way to fight, to heal. It’s an age-old story, and tragically too real. It’s one you’ve probably heard before. It’s one that never loses meaning.

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Why BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER Is Not a Family-Friendly Movie

By Movieguide® Staff

Editor’s note: The following article contains major spoilers for BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER.

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER bridges the gap between the death of King T’Challa after actor Chadwick Boseman died, and furthering the Black Panther legacy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

While appealing to adults’ sense of fantasy, it is not a movie for your whole family. Unfortunately, major worldview issues propel the plot and become a major focal point of the main character, Shuri’s, development.

Per the Movieguide® review :

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER opens with Princess Shuri of Wakanda praying to the Egyptian goddess Bast to help her cure her fatally ill brother, the Black Panther. She fails and loses her way. Shuri’s mother, the Queen, tries to heal Shuri’s grief and renew her faith in their ancestors. The Queen is interrupted when an immortal king with superpowers from an undersea Mayan kingdom appears. He threatens Wakanda with destruction unless it joins him in a war against the world’s leading nations. BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER is well-produced and eventually promotes mercy and rejects revenge. However, the heroes and villains are not that interesting. Also, the movie has a pagan worldview promoting Non-Christian gods and ancestor worship. It also has an Afro-centric ideology that makes jabs at Christianity. The only way to end slavery, even happening today, is the good news of the Gospel, the paganism and revisionist history in BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER wont accomplish that.

If the ancestor worship was mentioned off-hand a few times, that could be forgivable. Instead, though, the movie relies heavily on the ancestors to push Shuri into becoming the Black Panther.

In one scene, the Queen mother describes an occult ritual in which she connects to her deceased son, causing a rebuke from Shuri, as Shuri feels like the ancestors have abandoned her.

While she initially rejects her mother’s belief in the ancestors, Shuri ultimately chooses to consume a hallucinogenic plant into order to gain superhuman strength and project herself onto the ancestral plane to meet with her mother or brother to seek wisdom. Neither of those relatives greet her, however, and she comes face to face with the original BLACK PANTHER villain, Killmonger. Killmonger appeals to Shuri’s bitterness and rage, and she takes on the Black Panther mantle with fury in her heart.

When Shuri reveals herself as Black Panther to the Wakandan elder council, they lay hands on her in a perverted form of prayer, interceding to the ancestors.

Furthermore, WAKANDA FOREVER’s antagonist, King Namor, is driven by his devotion to his ancestors to make his underwater kingdom the strongest in the world, with a goal to annihilate the surface nations. He speaks openly about his desire to please the ancestors, and he and Shuri appear to make a haphazard peace agreement based on their mutual respect for their ancestors.

While most of the movie is perfectly acceptable viewing for discerning teenagers and adults, these scenes merit excessive warning, thus the warning that it is not the family outing you want for your children this weekend. Cognitive development theory warns that children cannot process this information without great help, and viewing such an Anti-Christian worldview could negatively affect them.

Several previous Marvel movies have relied on overarching moral and biblical principles to facilitate their stories. Recently, though, in movies such as THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER and DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, Marvel is moving away from these inspirational elements.

Both of those movies ended up disappointing in the box office, proving that audiences don’t care for excessive content. These next few weeks will determine if BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER will suffer the same fate.

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Behind The Scenes of Marvel Studios' 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' with Ryan Coogler

Hear from the acclaimed director with an interview excerpt from 'black panther: wakanda forever – official movie special'.

In the wake of T’Challa’s death, Wakanda is left without a Black Panther. As vibranium is found in the realm, a new enemy breaches Wakandan borders. Queen Ramonda must join forces with this new threat of potentially put her people at risk. Go behind the scenes of the epic film with  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Official Movie Special,  available on October 31 at  Amazon ,  Barnes and Noble ,  Books-A-Million  or wherever you like to buy books.

In the film, Marvel Studios'  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ,  director Ryan Coogler takes the task of following up to the first international hit film, Black Panther  along with how to honor the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, while introducing new characters such as Namor and Riri Williams.

The special edition takes you behind the scenes of the new movie to meet the director, producer, writers, and cast, and discover a wealth of incredible on-set photography and production art. Through exclusive interviews you can hear what it was like to bring Ryan Coogler's vision to life.  

You can pre-order  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Official Movie Special  at  Amazon ,  Barnes and Noble ,  Books-A-Million  or wherever you like to buy books.

Please enjoy an excerpt from the book with Ryan Coogler, director of  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

INTERVIEW WITH RYAN COOGLER

What is the setup for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ?

Black Panther was about the struggle to move on after the passing of a father. T’Challa had to reckon with what kind of man he was going to be. This film explores the relationship between Ramonda and Shuri. We know Ramonda’s character as the mom of the king, but in this film she’s the queen of Wakanda, as well as being the mother to her daughter, Shuri. We see what she was going through and her perspective on the loss of T’Challa, which is very different from Shuri’s perspective. When the Blip happened, Shuri and T’Challa disappeared, but Ramonda was left. Her character has had this really complex emotional experience of losing both her kids, then being reunited with them, and losing one again. She is trying to give Shuri some emotional insight into this.

What made you decide to bring Namor into this film?

We’re really excited to portray this character in the film. Comic book fans will know him; he’s one of the oldest Marvel characters [first introduced in 1939, when Marvel Comics was still known as Timely Comics]. His very appearance shows that Wakanda is not safe as it thought it was. In the comics, Black Panther has a really fun rogues’ gallery. He has conflicts with Ulysses Klaue, Erik Killmonger, Dr. Doom, Kraven the Hunter, the X-Men, and many others. But the conflicts he has with Namor are the ones that stick in your head. These tended to be the most complex and are the most fun, with the greatest lines of dialogue. In the first Black Panther film, T’Challa tells Klaue, “Every breath you take is mercy from me.” But actually, in the comics, Black Panther said that to Namor. These characters had so much in common and for some reason just despised each other.

What are some of the production challenges?

Before we could start shooting, we pre-visualized as much as we could from the storyboards. We figured out what we would need in each shot. We always spend a lot of time making sure the VFX [visual effects] can get off to the right start. We want to have everything ready before the actors arrive on set. The sets are big and we have to make sure we spread our budget so we can get everything we need. We have to figure out what’s going to go to visual effects and how many stunt players we need – and how many of these stunt players need to be water players! We have to figure out how many weapons we needed and what they should look like, as well as costumes. We have to get the script dialed in so that we’re not biting off more than we can chew, and not shooting scenes we’re not going to use. The ship has to be headed in the right direction, because you know that it’ll be hard to change course once all the actors land and we get cameras up. Our first day of filming was July 7, 2021, a Thursday. It was the UN scene, with Angela Bassett as Ramonda, shot right here in Atlanta.

Order  Marvel Studios’ Wakanda Forever: The Official Movie Special  to read the full interview with Ryan Coogler, actors Angela Bassett (Queen Ramonda), Letitia Wright (Princess Shuri), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia) and more, illustrated with a wealth of incredible on-set photography and production art. On sale October 31, 2023.

Pre-order  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Official Movie Special  at  Amazon ,  Barnes and Noble ,  Books-A-Million  or wherever you like to buy books.

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The answers to your biggest questions about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all in one book!

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This visually deluxe book—with a foreword by Danai Gurira—takes you through the legendary career of the costume designer, including her work on Marvel Studios' ‘Black Panther.’

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'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' - Cast Interview

Posted: May 8, 2024 | Last updated: May 8, 2024

The cast of Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” including Danai Gurira (Okoye), Alex Livinalli (Attuma) Mabel Cadena (Namora), Producer Nate Moore, and the famed director himself are here to discuss making the epic Marvel sequel. Watch as they discuss filming the emotional and powerful scenes with stars Angela Bassett and Tenoch Huerta, where this film sits in the MCU’s timeline, and what’s next for the characters and Coogler himself.

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Movie Review: 'Wakanda Forever'

Marvel's "Black Panther" sequel, "Wakanda Forever," brings together almost all the original cast members for a story that is both an elegy for Chadwick Boseman and a way forward for the story.

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