By Brenden Vigil
Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been anticipated by many since Marvel’s Avengers: End Game. The sequel to the 2018 interpretation has been continued by the same director Ryan Coogler.
Black Panther is one of the most cinematic movies the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) delivered, and the tradition is still kept in Wakanda Forever. With a heavy heart for many fans, Director Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios have paid respect to both the beloved character T’Challa and actor Chadwick Boseman.
For those unaware, actor Chadwick Boseman and first Black Panther, passed away in August 2020 after filming had just begun for the sequel in June 2020. The movie is captivating and will always keep your attention through the cinematography, costume design, and musical score as we all mourn Chadwick Boseman.
Marvel really spent a great deal of time, dedication, and remembrance of the actor, and you see it throughout the movie. The movie balances grief, hope, and remorse, as seen in different marvel projects. This time, actresses Leticia Wright (Shuri), Angela Bassett (Queen Ramonda), and the rest of the cast invoke every single emotion you face when losing your king and your beloved co-star. At times it does not feel like they are actually acting.
Namor (Tenoch Huerta) has brought something new to the cinematic universe by being a non-traditional villain within the MCU that we are used to seeing. Namor may lack the personal animosity that made Killmonger (Micheal B Jordan) such an unusually compelling Marvel villain, but he shares that character’s postcolonial anger along with his distorted righteousness. Like Killmonger, Namor represents a violent but not altogether illogical threat to Wakanda. He is someone that interrogates the integrity of its Afrofuturistic utopia rather than flatters it and plays into imperialistic strategies of pitting rival tribes against each other.
As marvel now ends phase 4, phase 5 is closely behind with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania releasing in the U.S. on February 17th, 2023. This movie was more than just the end of a renowned actor’s role within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as this is now the new beginning for Marvel through the next generation of heroes to see on the big screen. With many doubts about the movie being made, the franchise has respected the actor through the film in many instances that will leave fans filled with emotion.
