Writer and Director Ryan Coogler ‘s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has the daunting, nearly impossible challenge of continuing the hero story of Black Panther without him. The late Chadwick Boseman powerfully played King T’Challa, who was Black Panther. Chadwick passed away in 2020. I read that Ryan initially didn’t want to make the Black Panther (2018) sequel following Chadwick’s death. Wakanda Forever is Ryan’s poignant homage to his friend and star Chadwick Boseman, who shall forever be Black Panther. Rest in peace, Chadwick, “and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Honestly, Wakanda Forever is not as great as Black Panther. Wakanda Forever can’t overcome the loss of Boseman. Still, it embodies his spirit and authentic swag. Ryan Coogler dazzles in his imagery of Wakanda and the undersea city of Talokan. He creates touching pathos in the climactic battle between powerful Talokan King Namor, the half-human nearly immortal mutant, played by Tenoch Huerta, and T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri, played by Letitia Wright. Ryan and Joe Robert Cole’s screenplay evolves as the eloquent narrative of loss, family, and love. Letitia Wright arises as the star in her profound compassion and quiet strength.
In the opening scenes of Wakanda Forever, T’Challa (Black Panther) passes away tragically. Letitia’s brilliant scientist Shuri fails to save her dying brother. The signature Marvel credits pay tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman with fond memories of him. There’s a moment of silence to acknowledge his heartfelt loss.
A year after T’Challa’s death, his mother, Queen Ramonda, played by powerful Angela Basset, and Shuri participate in the traditional remembrance ceremony by a river to honor T’Challa, acknowledging what he meant to them. Tenoch’s Namor emerges from the river with his winged ankles. Namor asks the Queen to join forces in his battle with the surface human world. Like Wakanda, his undersea Talokan also possesses the precious metal Vibranium, which is the source of Wakanda’s advanced technology. The Talokans are a blue-skinned race of people with tremendous physical prowess.
By narrative design, Namor seems more villain than hero. He and his minions go on a murderous rampage of scientists trying to detect Vibranium in the Atlantic Ocean. Motivated by the self-preservation of his people, Namor has no mercy.
General Okoye, Commander of the Wakanda Army, played by strong and beautiful Danai Gurira, along with Shuri, find the Vibranium detector’s inventor, MIT protégé Riri William, played by smart-spirited Dominique Thorne. Inspired by Tony Stark (Iron Man), Riri forged her own high-tech version of the Iron Man suit, called Iron Heart. Namor’s forces collide with Shuri’s brave crew.
The tragedy and loss that befall Shuri fill her heart with vengeance. In Wakanda Forever’s poignant narrative arc, Shuri takes the ritual Black Panther serum to travel to the Ancestral Plane that T’Challa visited in Black Panther. Sitting there upon the Wakandan throne is the late Erik Killmonger, T’Challa’s arch-rival cousin, played by quietly powerful Michael B. Jordan.
Erik, too was driven by vengeance over the murder of his father. He says to Shuri, “T’Challa was too noble… Are you going to be noble like your brother or take care of business?” That’s the eloquence of Ryan Coogler’s compelling narrative. Erik succumbed to what he despised in his just cause. Shuri chooses who she will be and what she will do. She takes care of business in balancing lightness and darkness, balancing vengeance and forgiveness.
I teared up in the Wakanda Forever epilogue as Rihana sings Lift Me Up. A meaningful legacy lifts others up and inspires them to be greater than they know for generations to come. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever authentically inspires us to be greater than we know ourselves to be. That’s the forever spirit of Chadwick Boseman. That’s Wakanda Forever.
Watch the official trailer
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Photo credit: Shutterstock, modified
