By incorporating grief into the newest Black Panther movie, Marvel Studios is able to expand on old characters and set them up for a bright future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” follows the story of the royal Wakandan family after the death of King T’Challa.
When faced with a threat from the sea, Shuri goes to America to extract MIT scientist Riri Williams and get her to safety. Shuri and Riri are taken by the mutant Namor, who rules the underwater kingdom of Talokan.
The two are rescued and return to Wakanda. The nation is attacked by the ocean-dwellers. Ramonda, Mother of Shuri and queen of Wakanda, is murdered by Namor and the city is left destroyed and flooded. The two powerful kingdoms go to battle and Shuri takes up the mantle of Black Panther. Following her victory over Namor, she learns that her brother had a child before he passed away.
The plot of the movie is perfectly executed. It does not feel too rushed or too slow; the pacing is just right.
The introductions, reunions and deaths of many characters play a large role in the film.
The director, Ryan Coogler, held the constant theme of grief as the city of Wakanda grieves the loss of their king and later their queen.
Shuri also suffers in this movie. After having lost her mother and brother in just over one year, she is left broken and filled with hatred. The film portrays this through inner conflict.
Riri Williams is an awesome addition to the MCU. She is a funny character who has a sister-like relationship with Shuri and a brain similar to Tony Stark’s.
She later becomes Ironheart, who is pretty much the next Iron Man and will be featured in her own show in 2023.
Namor, otherwise known as K’uk’ulkan (“the feather serpent god”), had an amazingly developed story. The strong and menacing antagonist brings cultural background to the MCU. His background creates a perfect villain who we don’t want to die but don’t want to win, very much like Eric Killmonger, the villain from the first “Black Panther.”
Shuri, who becomes Black Panther at the end of the film, has an amazing character arc. Before this film, she was portrayed as the genius and comedic younger sister of T’Challa, but following the losses in her family she is viewed as an adult and fit to rule.
After her encounter with Killmonger in the ancestral plain, she is conflicted about whether she wants to be like her blinded-by-evil cousin or good-hearted brother. Shuri is an amazing Black Panther and fills the role really well.
Another stunning aspect of this movie is the costume design. After the Oscar-winning outfits in the first film, costume designer Ruth Carter did not disappoint.
Carter incorporated colors and patterns into the costumes that further exhibited the tone of the scene while also including the ancient culture of the two civilizations.
The cherry on top of this movie is the original soundtrack from returning composer Ludwig Göransson.
He once again created a score that represents the film beautifully. The audience feels a sense of ancient civilizations, with an angelic yet unnerving side to it. Although the film features a lot of silence to fit the grief, the score perfectly displays the power of two ancient kingdoms clashing, one above the surface and the other below.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was a spectacular sequel to the amazing first film. The film pays homage to Boseman and his beloved character, introduces new and important characters and gives the audience a glimpse into the future of the Black Panther.