The death of Chadwick Boseman is the most tragic event associated with the real side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016, but he kept the fact a secret from almost everyone. And he accepted the role of Black Panther with a clear awareness of his illness, without warning anyone at Marvel and Disney. So the death of Boseman in 2020 was a shock for everyone and forced the film crew to reconsider plans for the Black Panther sequel, which was then planned just for Chadwick. The script had to be completely redone. As such changes were said on the final version of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – read the review below.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” / Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Genre action

Directed by Ryan Coogler

Cast : Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Dominic Thorne, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman

Premiere cinemas

Release year 2022

IMDb website

The death of King T’Challa, who is also a Black Panther, due to an unknown disease, was a shock to the whole of Wakanda. Mourning within the state continues for about a year, and Shuri (Letisha Wright) also personally blames herself for the death of her brother, because she could not quickly find a cure. The death of the Black Panther also weakened the position of the Wakandans in the geopolitical arena, because of this, many states intensified their attempts to invade Wakanda for the rare mineral vibranium. But it turns out vibranium might be in other parts of the world. And that brings Wakanda into conflict with the undersea state of Talokan and its stern ruler, Namor (Tenoch Huerta).

The film sets its minor tone from the very first frames. The opening few scenes of Wakanda Forever are a farewell to T’Challa, set up as beautifully and African authentic as it is sad. In fact, the entire film is a two-hour epitaph to Chadwick Boseman. And this fact is reflected in all elements of cinema.

At the very least, this affects the humor that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has always been famous for. Sometimes with comedy, individual directors frankly go too far, as, for example, in Thor 4. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” against this background seems to be the most serious. There are almost no jokes here, and those that are are served as unobtrusively as possible and are built more on non-standard situations, rather than the internal clowning of individual characters.

Most of the movie comics basically feel pretty mundane and even personal. The key driver of the plot of the story this time is not some large-scale event or supernatural threat, but just the death of T’Challa. The heroes do not forget about her for a moment, and the strongest moments of the movie unfold not in large-scale and creative battles, as is customary inside the MCU, but against the backdrop of touching heartfelt dialogues.

However, the authors did not forget about the action either. He surprises and entertains especially strongly in the first half of the film – due to the same earthiness. The local city chase scene is reminiscent of Jack Reacher and the early parts of Fast and Furious. And it ends with a duel battle, in which every blow is felt almost tactile. Which testifies to the competent staging of the entire battle.

Excellent production is one of the main advantages of the whole film. Kugler here mixes in neat proportions slow-mo, unusual camera work, colorful shots and thoughtful choreography. He does not forget about ethno-futurism, for which the first “Black Panther” became famous. Watching the Wakandan traditions and technologies in the cinema is very interesting and aesthetically pleasing at a high level.

Moreover, the ideas of ethnofuturism find their development in the state of Talokan, which was presented in the film. With him, Wakanda has an interesting contrast. The basis for Talokan was also taken from the ancient civilization (Aztec), but instead of technology, he went a more mystical path. However, its population is also trying to live happily in isolation. It would seem that they should quickly get along with the Wakandans, but some ideological differences do not allow them to coexist peacefully.

In the clash between Wakanda and Talokan, the geopolitical themes of the Black Panther sequel also emerge. After all, we are shown that two similar peoples can go to war against each other because of the presence of external threats or valuable resources. The rest of the world will use the situation for their own purposes. These questions do not go beyond the subtexts, but against the backdrop of the latest Marvel films, it is extremely pleasant to watch something like this.

But the final battle, for which someone, perhaps, will go to the new Black Panther, is rather disappointing here. The background itself is already very boring for her, because an iron pillar in the middle of the ocean is not the most creative location for a bombastic battle. The battle itself quickly turns into turmoil, and the scenario justification for the forces of the inhabitants of Talokan turned out to be very strained. And in some places without problems it will be possible to find huge plot holes.

But from Namor, the antagonist turned out to be excellent. He looks menacing in every appearance, but in parallel, his goals and motives are as logical as possible. As in the comics, Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is more of an anti-hero than a full-fledged villain. And I want to see him in future Marvel films.

Also, the second “Black Panther” introduces another important character from the comics into the MCU – Riri Williams (Dominic Thorne), also known as Ironheart. In the comics, this is the heiress of Iron Man, who managed to assemble her own armor on her own. In the film, she has almost no connections with Tony Stark, even if there are some homages to the character of Robert Downey Jr. But Riri herself, who is suddenly dragged into the conflict between two megastates, is interesting to follow. Dominic Thorne managed to embody a charismatic character on the screen, who also has an interesting dynamic with Shuri. Is that the new Riri armor turned out to be somehow too cartoonish.

The entirety of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever can also be seen as Shuri’s story, her acceptance of her brother’s death, and her legacy. The entire Wakandan people took T’Challa’s death hard, but it was Shuri who took the loss as a personal responsibility. Her every decision in history is based on the bitterness of loss. And it adds extra depth to the film.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is strikingly different not only from the other films of the fourth phase, but from the background of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are jokes, and battles, and fan service, and the development of the scenario lines of the MCU. But still, every minute of the movie is riddled with melancholy and sadness. Be prepared that traditional popcorn entertainment will not work here.

And immediately about the scenes after the credits. She’s the only one here, and in the middle of the credits. So you don’t have to wait until the very end. And the scene itself reveals one important fact, which indicates that Marvel has ambitious plans for Black Panther.