Entertainment
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever carries Chadwick Boseman’s torch beautifully in majestic and emotional sequel-Alicia Adejobi-Entertainment – Metro
Ryan Coogler had a major feat in continuing without its lead star but rises to the challenge.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits cinemas on November 11 (Picture: Marvel Studios/Disney/AP)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was always going to be an emotional affair but, crikey, what an absolutely stunning tour de force it is.
Ryan Coogler had the unimaginably daunting task of not only trying to recreate the magic of the first Black Panther, released in 2018, but to also give justice to the memory and legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman.
Just two years after he made his critically acclaimed debut as King T’Challa aka Black Panther, Boseman died in August 2020 after keeping his battle with colon cancer private. It’s an insurmountable loss to his family, friends, Marvel co-stars and also fans, who were blown away by his cool, measured and entertaining performance as the superhero and looked forward to what he would bring in the sequel.
With that in mind, the responsibility Coogler had to make Wakanda Forever as sensitive as it is enjoyable was one that no director would ever want to shoulder. Fortunately, with support from a phenomenal cast, he surpassed expectations as the sequel is enough to make even the most cold-hearted critic melt.
The lack of Boseman’s presence is certainly felt in Wakanda Forever – in much of his work, he had the knack of being charming and commanding even when saying very little.
However, he would truly be proud of the direction Coogler takes with the sequel as all the important women in T’Challa’s life step up to carry his mantle with pride.
Letitia Wright, returning as Shuri, delivers a captivating performance (Picture: Marvel Studios)
It’s the first film without Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa, following his death in 2020 (Picture: AP)
The most beautiful aspect of Wakanda Forever is the way each of the women individually deals with their grief, navigated perfectly by Coogler and his writing partner Joe Robert Cole. It offers viewers a chance to confront their grief over the loss of the character but also Boseman in real life – and the same can clearly be said for the cast.
In the absence of Boseman’s presence, Angela Bassett takes charge of running Wakanda and leading the cast, delivering a powerful and forceful performance deep-rooted in anger as Queen Ramonda mourns the loss of her son and the actress, her real life friend.
Letitia Wright is magnificent in her returning role as Shuri, still wanting her independence as one of Wakanda’s brightest minds and innovators, while also being vulnerable and grappling with how to move forward with the legacy set by her brother. It’s truly remarkable the way she’s able to carry the bulk of the film amid all the emotions it brings and it’s undoubtedly her most captivating performance yet.
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Then there’s Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia who appears to be further along in her grieving process, offering moments of peace and stillness – and a nuanced performance – amid the chaos unfolding in the heart of Wakanda without its leader. With most corners of the grief spectrum covered, there’s surely something for everyone to relate to when it comes to the greatest loss of a loved one.
At times when it feels like the dark tone of Wakanda Forever is hard to shift, a full-throttle action scene is thrown in to shake us up and, my, what a wonderful villain we have in Namor (Tenoch Huerta) who manages to be both charming and menacing in equal measure. It’s a real trip to watch Shuri become so taken in with him (and realise you are too) before remembering he’s not exactly on Wakanda’s team. Huerta proves himself to be a worthy villain of the Marvel family and, even with the challenges of the sequel without Boseman, does well in finding his footing with the OG cast members.
Lupita Nyong’o delivers a nuanced performance as Nakia (Picture: Marvel Studios)
Tenoch Huerta is both charming and menacing as new villain Namor (Picture: Marvel Studios)
Boseman’s presence is undeniably missed but the women taking centre stage give justice to his legacy (Picture: Marvel Studios)
When it comes to the action sequences, the CGI team has outdone themselves and, despite the lengthy two hour 41-minute runtime, the pacing is timed perfectly with heartfelt moments given time to flesh out and the action plopped in at just the right time.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges Coogler and co. faced was, of course, who leads Wakanda without T’Challa? Well, the final choice couldn’t have been more fitting and leads to some truly tear-jerking yet satisfying conclusions.
That’s not to say this is the end of Black Panther – certainly not when it’s one of Marvel’s billion-dollar grossing franchises – as Coogler has done a fantastic job of making sure it can live on.
Wakanda Forever delivers a heartfelt, intimate and at times difficult portrayal of grief, giving fans a chance to mourn T’Challa and Boseman while looking towards the future.
Boseman started Black Panther’s on-screen legacy but its sequel offers assurance that it will be continued with grace.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is out in cinemas on November 11.
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