BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
2018’s BLACK PANTHER was a cultural phenomenon, to state the obvious. So, it makes sense that a quick two years after the film’s debut, writer and director Ryan Coogler completed the script for the sequel. Tragically, a few weeks after that, Chadwick Boseman, the inimitable star and heart of the first film, passed away. Coogler of course rewrote the sequel, but fans have been wondering ever since, how this follow-up would both live up to the original, and honor Boseman’s memory.
Well, I’m happy to report that Ryan Coogler delivered an emotional tribute to the late actor in every way he could. Without spoiling the film, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (trailer here) feels like the best possible direction the Marvel team could have taken this piece of the universe, while also delivering on a captivating and fresh story. The opening sequence was heartfelt, and beautifully paid respect to T’Challa. Moving forward from there, Cooglar leans in on the supporting cast of the first film with a keen focus on Shuri (Letitia Wright), Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), M’Baku (Winston Duke), and Okoye (Danai Gurira). And then, by way of new characters, one of the best comic book villains the Marvel team could have drawn from delivers in the form of Namor (Tenoch Huerta). The juxtaposition of Namor’s backstory and his character’s actions create an antagonist I deeply enjoyed. And of course, this being Marvel, the massive scale and ambition of each set piece was awe-inspiring. The music throughout the film was an expansion on the original BLACK PANTHER, further incorporating African and Mesoamerican artists to create an extremely diverse score that comes to life inside the film. There’s so much more there, but honestly, just go see it. In a theater! It’s worth it.
—Jackson Ingraham, Executive Assistant
