When I heard the news of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, I was skeptical of how they were going to handle the movie ever since Chadwick had passed away in 2020. The tragic loss of him was heartbreaking to hear all around, from actors in Marvel and from other movies he played in, but to my surprise, Wakanda Forever changed my expectations with a few twists and surprises. 

At its core, Wakanda Forever is about Shuri (played by Letitia Wright), and her kingdom, which are mourning the loss of their beloved King, T’Challa. Shuri and her mother, Queen Ramonda (played by Angela Bassett), are trying to push through the loss of their brother and son, but this is no easy feat. Their country controls the world’s supply of vibranium, but now it lacks its protector. When a strange demi-god called Namor (played by Tenoch Huerta) appears from the waters and oceans, claiming Wakanda has endangered his people, The Talokans. 

A lot happens in this film, and it can be difficult at times to keep up with the plot’s twists and turns. This is understandable though because the film’s script had to adjust to the real life tragedy of Chadwick Boseman’s passing. Nevertheless, everyone in Wakanda Forever did an absolutely phenomenal job with their parts. Letita Wright played Shuri with so much emotion and depth into her character, switching from a funny and comedic style to something much darker and more serious, and Letitia did it with such passion and dedication. Angela Bassett showed authority and power as Queen Ramonda, showing that Queen Ramonda was not to be taken lightly. Her main speech in the movie is absolutely beautiful,  full of emotion and depth. I could feel the speech from the screen empowering me. But really, every single woman in there was phenomenal with their roles and their strength into the film. And I hope to see them again for another Wakanda film.

Now as our main male antagonist, Tenoch Huerta was amazing as Namor. He was intimidating and did not play when it came to his people; he showed that he means what he says. His measures may be drastic, but he only means well for his people and for the Kingdom of Talokan. Winston Duke reprised his role as  M’Baku with the same charm he had in the first installment. Winston Duke kept the light humor, which made me crack a laugh, but he was more of an emotional support character during the film and especially for Shuri, and I was glad for that turn of shift for his character.

While helping audiences come terms with Chadwick’s passing and creating new paths for the residents of Wakanda, this stunning movie deserves at least a 9.5/10 for it’s amazing actors and actresses; detailed and cultural costume designs; dialogue that you could just feel, and even with great face of death and losing those you care about. This film handled the message beautifully and with a mixture of real events, and this is a high recommendation for those Marvel fans out there.

The story of the Black Panther is bigger than just another Marvel, superhero movie. The characters, actors, soundtrack, and film itself are an important part of representation for the black community. Because of this and being a huge marvel fan, I was really excited to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

I really enjoyed this movie, especially because of the anticipation since the last film that came out in 2018. Firstly, I loved all the new antagonists and protagonists that we were introduced to ,such as Namor and Ironheart. It was especially exciting to see new villains, specifically ones who are enemies with Wakanda. 

Another aspect of the film I loved was seeing how the characters grieved and interpreted both the actor and previous Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman’s death. The emotions felt real and not conformed to an act of pretending because the cast was actually grieving. The framing and shots in this movie, along with other Marvel films was phenomenal.

 Lastly, one feature that really elevated the movies was the soundtrack. This year’s soundtrack was done by the Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, who incorporated artists such as Stormxy, Rihanna, and Burna Boy. I think the sound track made the movie and perfectly expressed the emotions in each scene. I would recommend this movie to anyone, and would give it 8.5 out of 10.