A Thought-Provoking Sequel That Deals With Grief and War (Black Panther Wakanda Forever)

It is the end of Phase 4 and what a way to leave this session on grief and rebirth in one of the biggest franchises by revisiting the world of Black Panther. This sequel, titled Wakanda Forever, may not only bring audiences back to the fictional advanced African nation but also deals with the absence and loss of the beloved Chadwick Boseman. However, it is a Marvel feature so, expect immense world-building and introductions to characters that will play more significant parts in upcoming crossovers. 

Wakanda Forever centers around everyone who cared for T'Challa, as we enter each of their perspectives on how they deal with his death. The storyline mostly focuses on Shuri as we see her struggling immensely by pushing to avoid dealing with her pain by constantly working, and creating technological advancements for her fellow Wakandans. With that, the world seems to be using this time of time of vulnerability to be adamant with T'Challa's promise to share vibranium with the rest of the world as yet another hidden nation called Talokan led by the mysterious Namor resurfaces to hold Wakanda responsible for the mainland's greed towards the rare metal. 

This sequel triumphs in being a character study on grief and loss, like most of the Marvel outings this last 2 years. Co-writer and director, Ryan Coogler allows quiet conversations between characters to be essential as well as impactful. But the aching silences don't stop there. Silence seems to be a separate character within this narrative to allow scenes to be perceived tentatively to build tension through certain big fight sequences as well as anecdotes of reminiscing. It is an interesting choice, especially in a film that is large in scale and it is a fresh take on the matter considering this current phase of MCU properties have been purposefully focusing on grief and loss after the traumatic events caused in the last Avengers films.

What makes this sequel so special is the diverse world-building. Inspired by the Atlantean roots from the comics, changes were made to provide a much more believable and researched backstory to the citizens of Talokan, an underwater country that is just as advanced, large, and secretive as the Wakandans once was. Their leader, Namor mirrors T'Challa in certain ways as he is also remarkably different. Like the comics, he is arrogant yet charming, marking him as an formidable antagonist, especially one to be remembered fondly and for years to come within the Marvel pantheon of villains. Would be wise to assume he will make a comeback very soon due to being an iconic and one of the oldest Marvel characters to date. 

It would be nice to discuss certain other details that were shed to light in this sequel but that would treading too far down spoiler road. I can guarantee that the new information will definitely shake the very foundations of the MCU in the long haul so, keep your eyes peeled and ears alert. Luckily, none of these of these spoilers allow audiences to be strayed away from the general plots presented here. One thing worth mentioning is the inclusion of Riri Williams. Despite having her own show very soon next year, Dominique Thorne's performance steals the show in Wakanda Forever, making a memorable debut in the MCU before becoming the iconic Ironheart. 

With the amount of storyline that is in this film, it is highly understandable that Wakanda Forever runs for 2 Hours and 40 minutes. Unlike the previous 2 MCU films, Wakanda Forever does not feel overly rushed to be fast-paced nor does it rely on heavy lore that may seem to much for audiences who aren't familiar with the source material. Also unlike the previous 2 films, there's only one MCU film that seems to be important for rewatching in order to understand the themes and arcs presented which happens to be the first Black Panther. 

With the exception of silence playing a major role in experiencing this film, Ludwig Goransson's score does not hold back. Instead including more brass and making his original themes that he made for the first film louder, Goransson manages to create new themes that proves his Oscar-winning talent. As if dealing with a new movie entirely, it is understanable that Goransson create new sounds in order to not use themes that were made specifically for the late Boseman's T'Challa for the new and old characters that were justifiably overshadowed by the titular character.

Which leads us to another reason why Wakanda Forever is a different kind of sequel. It might be the only sequel to entirely focus on the predecessor's supporting characters, giving each of them a moment to shine. From Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett and Lupita N'yongo giving stellar performances, Letitia Wright was the star here, alongside newcomer Tenoch Huerta. Many have been unhappy with the lack of Winston Duke's involvement as M'Baku but there is something to relish here with how much the character has changed since his inception into the first Black Panther film, challenging T'Challa's views, disbelief in his claim to rule only to be a trustworthy ally and a honorary brother figure to Shuri. 

It is very enlightening to see MCU using their fictional political themes to drive a plot in Wakanda Forever, something that MCU seems to thrive in at after the Captain America trilogy and the Falcon and The Winter Soldier series. Wakanda Forever solidies that fact further with vibranium being the main catalyst to what transpires that could only be seen as enlightening if such an issue were to fall in our current political climate. 

Brisquely said, Black Panther Wakanda Forever is overall an thought-provoking sequel. In terms of grief and war, the sequel highlights these themes exceptionally,  captured beautifully through the eyes of  Ryan Coogler. He is one of the best filmmakers under a Marvel contract right now and it is rightfully so that Marvel continues working with him to produce more projects whether within the vicinity of Wakanda or beyond the ever-expanding MCU.