The Wheel of Destiny has been spun and this time it has taken us back to the technological powerhouse civilization of Wakanda. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was stuck between a rock and a hard place. However, given the circumstances, it was an entertaining enough sequel that did its best to reconcile a massive loss while building a foundation for the future.
***It’s been months, but still, SPOILERS ahead***
Still reeling from the sudden loss of King T’Challa, Wakanda mourns while struggling to find their identity both on a national and on global scale without their King. As the royal family grapples with loss and responsibility, a new threat rises from the ocean.
Even under the best circumstances, sequels reaching and/or exceeding the heights of their predecessors is exceptionally rare, so it was already going to be an uphill battle the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman. That put director Ryan Coogler in an exceptionally difficult position. I would have to imagine that it was a very emotional and personal challenge for him, especially with a massive corporate machine at his back. All things considered, I think he did a pretty darn good job.
The production design and costuming were great, especially for a place like Atlantis that we had never seen! Obviously, there are going to be some limitations there, but basing the lore on Aztec history gave it a much more distinct identity and helped steer it away from the realm of Aquaman’s Atlantis. The movie looked awesome and handled its CGI pretty well. The visual footprint wasn’t the problem.
The biggest detriment to this film besides the aforementioned was the scope of the story. It was much too big of a story for one movie. Introducing Namor and Atlantis and that entire history is a really big deal, and having to shoehorn an homage to your fallen star is precarious. I understand wanting/needing to honor Chadwick on screen, but I also understand those people who were saying T’Challa should be re-cast because the character was bigger than one actor. There is no telling what the movie could have been, but the one we got seemed to be stretched thin on both fronts.
By moving forward with the decision to have an on-screen funeral for not just T’Challa but realistically for Boseman as well, you run into another massive problem. Where were the Avengers? Forget that, where was any Avenger? Just one. How about Bucky, who he took in and protected? How about cap who he allied with and created a new shield for? Black Panther played a significant role in the Infinity Saga and he even went to Tony’s funeral. I get that the logistics of getting all the actors’ contracts lined up to make that happen on short notice isn’t realistic. However, if you want to tell your audience that having this moment of veneration is important, not just for Boseman and his fans but inside the MCU as well, and not a single one of the other franchise characters is present, what does that actually say?
Tenoch Huerta gave a very strong performance in a tough spot and the cultural tie-ins for the character made his portrayal more impactful in his sense of responsibility. Namor is an interesting character and similar to T’Challa in that he’s a warrior-king, but in talking with a friend I never found Namor to be much of a threat in this film. It was through no fault of Huerta’s but these movies just tend to stick to a playbook. Sure, he does some damage to the city and Queen Ramonda dies along with probably a number of other Wakandans who don’t get names or real roles. However, never for a second did I think that Namor would win in the end or get what he wants. And of course, he doesn’t. Not only does he not win, but he also gets defeated physically and mentally by a new Black Panther on her first day on the job. Talk about getting your wings clipped. No wonder his lieutenants seem on the verge of mutiny at the end.
Letitia Wright was the natural and obvious choice to succeed Chadwick as the new Black Panther, but there was a lot of speculation surrounding that choice as well. I believe it should have been Angela Bassett taking up the mantle, at least temporarily, a.) because she’s awesome and b.) because she became the ruler of Wakanda with the death of her husband and son, so she should be duty-bound. Well, the story goes the most predictable route and Wright’s Shuri steps into the suit which presented a different set of problems.
Shuri has been shown to be incredibly smart and resourceful, so that makes sense, but we never see or even get told that she trained in combat. She just wakes up from her power nap and instantly knows hand-to-hand combat. Not just fighting either, she knows how to fight against other highly trained warriors and she wins easily. That’s the opposite of the character they had been telling us she was this whole time and feels completely inauthentic with the world that’s been established. Even T’Challa had weaknesses, faced defeat, faced death even, in order to make him get better, adapt, and overcome to truly earn the mantle of Black Panther. That is what made him a compelling character. Shuri never goes through any of that and that isn’t Wright’s fault. She gives herself to the performance and I appreciate that.
She is dealing with grief and rage, sure, but she never loses. At just 21 years old, she’s the smartest person in Wakanda, solves the one puzzle that’s central to the story while building key new armor as a side project, and creates a tactical military plan to fight the Atlantians (on the Ocean, no less, where Wakanda should 100% lose), then defeats Namor in one-on-one combat despite getting impaled by a massive spear in the process. You’d never know it after the fight though, she just walks it off. Oh yeah, and that’s all after they tease the romantic angle between the two just to let you know she’s that desirable too. If it sounds familiar because it’s the same thing we saw with other heroines coming out of the Disney machine like Rey and Captain Marvel. They always win and are instantly the best at everything, so why would I even entertain the notion that Namor would be a threat in this film?
This was a great opportunity for an Empire Strikes Back kind of moment. Unlike many of the other character franchises, this wasn’t the end of the trilogy and it would have been so much more impactful had the film ended with Shuri getting bested as a rookie Black Panther, Queen Ramonda dead, and Wakanda in ruin at Namor’s hand. However, I completely understand not wanting to end this film on a down note considering the gravity of Boseman’s passing and his enshrinement.
Of the six Phase 4 films, this one was the longest and was probably even longer before it came out of the editing room. Technically, this movie closed out Phase 4 which is supposed to launch the Multiverse Saga, but it didn’t tackle the Multiverse (not directly at least). So, it was an odd choice that was about as good as it could have been as a bookend for an incohesive Phase.
Recommendation: If you are a completionist like me, see it for the incredible production design of its fantasy worlds and the complex nature of how a filmmaker approaches a sequel after a tragic loss when there’s a much bigger cinematic picture at play.
Thanks for reading! I still believe word of mouth is the best way to help, so if you enjoy what I’m doing, please tell somebody. And if you have a comment, I’d love to hear it! Liking, subscribing, and sharing go a long way too. As usual, be well, be safe, and have fun no matter how you get your movies!