Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a solid film and heartfelt tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. From the moment the cameras roll the audience knows Ryan Coogler has a gut-punch coming.
As Shuri works to prepare a miracle anecdote for T’Challa, who is still alive in the MCU (RIP Chadwick), melancholy is baked into any optimism she can muster. We all know what’s about to happen.
Ultimately, Shuri does fail to save T’Challa and the nation of Wakanda gives the King a proper farewell; cue the waterworks.
Coogler knows how beloved and important Black Panther the character and Chadwick Boseman (Da 5 Bloods, 42) are at a time in America where the line between right and wrong is so abstract. And he delivers. Boseman’s work as an advocate and actor was in many ways as heroic as Black Panther, and Coogler won’t let us forget that we’ve lost them both.
Bravo, and thank you, Coogler.
But how did the rest of the film do? What worked in Wakanda Forever, and what didn’t? Let’s start with what didn’t.
Wakanda Forever – what didn’t work
Shuri as Black Panther in Wakanda Forever
Question: Why did the MCU make Shuri so susceptible to the dark side? Shuri has always maintained a clear head, so her switch felt more like a plot device than a character flaw.
But it gets worse. Even if we believe that Shuri is the type of character that would behave the way she did (personally, I understood where she was coming from), is that the best fit for Black Panther?
Honestly, I loved Letitia’s character. But I watched the movie with a group of people, and their comments ranged from “she did the best she could with the top-billed spot” to “Is Marvel just for kids now?”
The MCU has made significant changes in recent years to diversify the age of its cast. An ageless Eternal, Ms. Marvel, Hulk’s son, Amerika, Stinger, Laura from Logan, Black Panther, and now Iron Heart. Isn’t Lila Barton even due for her own crossover as the young female Hawkeye?
However, it makes sense if Marvel is shifting its strategy to focus on a younger demographic. And I’m sure Disney shareholders won’t mind, either.
But I have to agree with my friends on this: sucks for the 30-plus crowd. Lol.
Riri Williams as Iron Heart
I liked Riri in the film and her character has a lot of potential. But the way she was written in Wakanda Forever was over the top.
Yes, Riri played the “19-year-old American woman without a mentor” very well. But was she the young prodigy MIT tinkerer who’s found a way to build the Iron Man armor?
Now, I argued with my friends that the way her character behaved on screen made sense, but again, the issue was whether it passed the sniff test for someone who was supposed to be on the same level as Tony Stark, intellectually, not whether she pulled off the wacky teenager.
As a point of reference, it is estimated that a true-life Tony Stark would have an IQ in the ballpark of 270. If that seems unbelievable, it’s because it is. Albert Einstein had an IQ of 180. My mom tested at 140 once. They’re eccentric, can be difficult to communicate with, and are often socially withdrawn.
They’re different. And while I can imagine a gifted person at age 19 behaving this way (I grew up with plenty), someone with a 270 not understanding *spoilers*? Hard to believe.
Again, I didn’t mind, but the group seemed to feel like it didn’t make sense. At least, not yet.
Wakanda Forever: what worked
Tenoch Huerta as Namor
Two words. Beast. Mode. Say what you want about Namor’s motives or the logic behind his plan, but this high-flying winged-foot mutant takes care of business.
Tenoch Huerta killed it as Namor, and we can’t wait to see what his character will be up to next. The anti-hero has demonstrated that he’s not only capable of following through with his threats, but he’s also diplomatic; which makes him one of the most dangerous individuals on Earth, or the most effective one.
In either case, it’s exciting to think about what Marvel has planned for the Sub-Mariner now that they officially have the rights back to all X-Men and the mutants in their universe.
Angela Bassett as Ramonda
You know, it’s a shame Marvel *spoiler* *spoiler* characters. That’s all we’ll say about that.
Angela Bassett is, of course, always brilliant, but her portrayal of Ramonda grieving her son and husband must have been something like putting on a clinic for the younger performers.
She’s angry, determined, brilliant, and the most powerful woman in the world. What can go wrong? Angela Bassett nails the uncompromising and unrelenting Queen Mother facing a threat that, while understandable and navigable if cooler heads prevailed (as Shuri had to learn), is no doubt the straw that broke the camel’s back for a woman in agony trying to protect her family and country from usurpers and government operatives licking their chops for Vibranium.
Winston Duke as M’Baku
This one goes without saying, but I’m going to say it: Can someone PLEASE get M’Baku an Iron Man Suit or some of that flower Shuri whipped up in the kitchen? Because that dude wants to get the Fish Man. Lol.
Final words
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a tear-jerker from start to finish. The cast does their jobs admirably, and most pull off what they’ve been asked to do.
However, if it had not been for the tribute to Chadwick Boseman and stellar performances by the cast (Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia was also brilliant), the group I was with questioned whether Shuri as Black Panther and Dominique as Iron Heart could carry a movie like this in the future.
And given Marvel’s push toward a younger demographic and growing reputation as a studio that’s just repeating the same formula, what my friends really wanted to know was: How much longer can Marvel keep its original audiences engaged?
Wakanda Forever Ranking: 8/10
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