Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD!!⚠️

By Sophia Doshi

I finished this movie at 11 pm on a Friday night with my father when I had to wake up at 8 am the next morning for work, and all I can say is that it was worth it. The cinematography, storyline, cultural exploration, character development, and world-building in this movie are phenomenal, making it one of my top MCU movies to date. It wowed me utterly and completely, and I really cannot find anything in it that I found to be distasteful. It was just incredibly well done and a beautiful tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who is definitely proud of how this film turned out.

Favorite Scenes

This movie was packed with incredible action sequences, moments of connection between characters, and the complex relationship of politics, culture, and the responsibility that lies on the shoulders of progressively younger people. In all of this ornate storytelling, I was able to pinpoint my favorite scenes.

Image from Mashable

The first is the moment when the Dora Milaje (inspired by the real-life African warriors, the Agojie) stepped out of the supposed vibranium vault in the Wakandan outreach outpost. Of course, the action that follows is thrilling and empowering, but I vividly remember the goosebumps on my arms and legs when their theme song started playing and their faces came out of the inky black of the small room they were hidden in. The power that was simply emanating from the screen was indescribable; I was internally screaming and externally saying "oh, those guys are screwed" about the mercenaries who were about to get their butts handed to them.

My next favorite scene was when M'Baku was talking to Shuri (Letitia Wright did a great job of portraying her in Black Panther, but an even better job in Wakanda Forever). His advice and unusually soothing presence took me by surprise, but it was a pleasant sort of surprise. He seemed to be a brotherly figure to her, even after she had lost so much—T'Challa and Ramonda. The setting in the jungle added to the tranquility and reflectiveness of the scene, and it was refreshing to see M'Baku acting as a caring friend, not just as the comic relief.

While I could not find a good photo of it from the movie itself, my final favorite scene was the post-credit scene, where Nakia reveals that she had a son with T'Challa, who goes by Toussaint in Haiti but was named T'Challa after his late father. Of course, this was a touching moment for the characters, and a touching moment for me as well (and admittedly when the tears welled in my eyes, but I didn't let them pour out... until the dedication for Chadwick Boseman flashed on the screen).

Costume Design

Every MCU film always has fantastic costume designs. They always feature a mix of the personal styles of superheroes and then their suits as well. However, Wakanda Forever upped the design game when it came to all of the different costumes. What stands out most in my mind is Shuri's funeral garb featuring a stark white against the vibrant colors of Wakanda, Nakia's emerald and blue covert mission suit that portrayed her once again as Wakandan during her (presumable, until the PCS revealed why she was in Haiti) inner conflict with her home nation, and finally, the fierce yet formal uniforms of the Dora Milaje and Queen Ramonda when they were at the conference in Geneva. Additionally, knowing that Shuri's royal outfit that was gifted to her by Namor was designed by Iris Van Herpen was very cool. I found this out in a news article, and I love Iris Van Herpen, so seeing something so culturally significant made by a big designer felt like a huge win.
Image from Dezeen

Again, the costume design for the funeral garb is gorgeous—above is Nakia in hers at Ramonda's funeral.
Image from Collider

Action & Grief in Harmony

Wakanda Forever featured the grief of many. Shuri grieved for her brother and mother as a sister and a daughter, and Namor grieved for his mother and his people as a son and a King. This also allowed audiences to process the loss of Chadwick Boseman, who played such a pivotal role in introducing the African-based Wakandan culture to big screens everywhere. Even through all of this loss, the trademark MCU action was not lost. In fact, it was arguably enhanced by the emotions pumping through the veins of the actors, their characters, and audiences that felt like they were right there with them (at least, I did, I shouldn't really speak on behalf of the millions of other fans that watched the film. Yet the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes was a 94%, so I'd say I'm pretty on-point right now).

Addressing Politics

Finally, Wakanda Forever did what many Marvel movies have been afraid to even tread near: the politics of a greedy world. The moment that I saw 'Etas Unis' (United States) on the name card of the plain white man who started running his mouth about vibranium to Queen Ramonda, I sighed with a mixture of disgust and exasperation. While I'm glad that Ryan Coogler included the interaction between Wakanda and the outside world and how selfish humans truly are, it was a cinematic wake-up call for people who might have had their heads in the sand for a little too long recently. We asked for realness, and he served it on a silver platter; Coogler, I applaud you.

Cover image from Collider

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