When Black Panther was released in 2018, fans and critics alike loved it for various reasons. Its lovable lead character played by Chadwick Boseman, its intimidating as well as the sympathetic villain in Killmonger, and its amazing world-building in the nation of Wakanda all contribute to its resonance among fans. Due to this, fans were excited when Marvel announced that Black Panther would be getting a sequel.

However, it was revealed on August 28, 2020 that Chadwick Boseman had died from colon cancer, which he had kept secret for years. Fans had no idea how Marvel would deal with Boseman’s character, T’Challa, after his death. Some speculated that the character would be recast by another actor, with others even suggesting that Marvel might even shelve the movie altogether. Marvel fans were surprised on September 26, 2020 when it was confirmed that T’Challa would not be recast and would instead die off-screen. The movie would be turned into a tribute to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman.

In 2022, after many of the Marvel Phase 4 movies and TV shows left fans disappointed, people began to doubt if Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would be any good. Marvel fans can let their worries go and I can confidently say that Wakanda Forever feels like a breath of fresh air for people who have been longing for the quality of the previous Marvel phases. Okoye, Shuri, Romonada, and Namor all get excellent arcs within the movie that are greatly delivered by their actors. The death of T’Challa is treated seriously and fans who have been tired of Marvel putting too much humor into their movies and tv shows will be left satisfied. T’Challa’s death is felt throughout this entire movie, and it feels as if something is missing, which is the point since Chadwick Boseman’s character, T’Challa was the heart of the first film.

The story doubles down on its characters to explore their viewpoints on the death of T’Challa. The film tackles themes of grief, loss, and how people handle it. These themes don’t just tie into our heroes, but also our antagonist of the movie, Namor. This new villain shows us what happens when we let our grief consume us. The new antagonist has got to be one of the MCU’s best villains as he shares great comparisons to this film’s protagonist, as well as proving to be powerful as he can throw punches as strong as Hulk. Through him, we get to see his kingdom, Talokan, a civilized nation that lives underwater. In the comics, the nation’s name is Atlantis, but this was changed so that the movie wouldn’t conflict with DC’s Aquaman which came out in 2018. Throughout the movie, we get to see a conflict between both Wakanda and Talokan that spirals out into an all-out war.

Despite being a great movie, the movie does have some flaws. While many of the great characters from the first film are brought back, several, such as M’Baku and Nakia, are sidelined when there was much more to explore. This is a sequel that brings side characters from the first movie and gives them bigger roles. Although some characters are a bit more important than others, it still feels like they should have gotten more screen time, instead of having scenes surrounding less significant characters like Everet Ross and Riri Williams. Also, the movie’s finale is predictable as it ends with a big CGI final battle.

This is the movie Marvel fans have been waiting for after so much disappointment in the last few MCU movies. This movie is tragic as it handles the idea of what happens when our leaders fall and what we do afterward. This movie is filled with epic fights, great characters, and an awesome villain. Despite feeling like some characters didn’t get enough time on screen, the ones who have significant screen time are done well. The heavy-hitting moments are extremely well done and are some of the best we have ever seen in the MCU. This movie is very sad and I would definitely recommend bringing tissues because they certainly come in handy. Overall, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of Marvel’s best recent projects, and I am excited to see what they do next.

Score: 8/10