For Marvel fans, the biggest question heading into the much anticipated sequel for Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ likely wasn’t, “Will it be good?”. This team has a decent enough batting average, that was not as much a burning query as was, “How will they handle this?”.
Well, the short answer is….with class. They handled a really tough situation with sheer and utter class.
No decision in approaching this project could’ve been easy. When star Chadwick Boseman tragically passed from a battle with cancer in 2020, the safest route would’ve been to quietly retire this portion of the Marvel Universe and move on to other characters. But as the road less taken seems to be the preferred travel route of these innovators, we head back to Wakanda; and while debate will inevitably brew (hey, these ARE comic book fans after all, the forums are always open n’ lively), I, for one, am glad they did.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is indeed a tribute to Boseman’s King T’Challa, but it isn’t an emotionally overbearing one. Yes, it’s a passing of the torch. But it’s also the full meal deal you’ve come to expect from Marvel fare; a good story, banner performances and, in this case, an awesome villain. Or, um, antihero. Honestly, the speed in which the Marvel universe is unfolding, it’s tough to tell the difference sometimes.
Letitia Wright’s Shuri is primarily the focus of the spotlight in ‘Wakanda Forever’ as she, along with Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda, are not only grieving the loss of T’Challa, but dealing with a new threat, one of that comes from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. King Namor (Tenoch Huerta), though Marvel fans probably know him better as the Sub-Mariner, is an ankle-winged, super-strong, Speedo-wearing (at least those tight green trunks sure RESEMBLE a Speedo) mutant who leads the Talokans in a battle against the Wakandans over Vibranium, the natural resource that made the African kingdom so powerful.
With a running time of just under three hours, we get a lot of plot and a lot of players (fan favourite Ironheart is introduced, a role that Dominique Thorne is already gleefully making her own). Martin Freeman returns as C.I.A. agent Everett Ross, but with so much chaos erupting, including a doozie of a scuffle at sea, I think director and co-scripter Ryan Coogler sometimes forget both he and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, his ex-wife/boss, are even part of this deal. Their scenes often feel like they were tossed in, post-production.
One thing definitely not forgotten, thankfully, is the memory of Boseman. Again, so subtle and smart are ‘Wakanda Forever’s nods to the actor (the opening credit crawl alone was quiet brilliance) that it makes for a sweet spirit riding over the whole project from beginning to end. Speaking of which – do not leave early. That’s all I’m gonna say.
