BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

"What construct do you feel when you think of your brother? Does it offer you comfort or torment?" - Queen Ramonda

Martin Scorsese famously stated in a recent interview that Marvel films are “not cinema.” Quite the divisive statement among the public and cinefiles, but the box office domination of superhero movies in modern cinema undeniably speaks volumes. Formulaic standards that pump out blockbuster successes can create a large level of scrutiny regarding superhero projects, and when it comes to Marvel’s phase 4, it’s deserved. As the sequel to the only Marvel film nominated for Best Picture and grappling with losing its beloved protagonist playing one of the most impactful superheroes in the MCU catalog, the film forecasts heavy preconceived expectations and controversy. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, directed by Ryan Coogler, should silence Scorsese and every skeptic film connoisseur as it gracefully honors the memory of Chadwick Boseman and the legacy he left behind. Finally tapping into the roots that built the Marvel empire, Coogler produces a somber tale with a rejuvenation that floods the story with cinematic fervor few films in the franchise have successfully accomplished.

After an abrupt death due to an unnamed illness, King T’challa’s legacy as the Black Panther and the safety of Wakanda are left vulnerable. As the people of Wakanda mourn their leader, fellow ally nations launch attacks and covertly mine for the coveted metal, Vibranium. Unfortunately for everyone, the sovereign nation of Talokan, forced to relocate underwater after European colonization, takes matters into their own hands when mining machines threaten their home. Their feathered serpent God Namor and his powerful water breathing army give Queen Romanda and Princess Shuri an ultimatum: fight with the underwater people of Talokan, or against them. With the fate of her people hanging in the balance, Shuri must choose between the path of vengeance and the path of forgiveness. An emotional adventure about loss, retribution, and letting go, Wakanda Forever takes every element of wonder and grief to beautifully piece back together a broken nation.

Chadwick Boseman’s death was a shock heard around the world. Black Panther had one of the most culturally impactful trajectories in the superhero genre, begging the question if Marvel would churn out a cookie-cutter sequel to capitalize on his death and a mourning audience, or create something worthy of the Black Panther legacy. Honoring Boseman’s memory becomes an essential component narratively, and despite a few awkward, abrupt editing decisions and a little redundancy, Coogler gracefully did exactly that. Art imitates life; viewers feel the weight of his impact in every musical note, in every costume thread, in every cinematic edit, and on the shoulders of every actor. The grieving Black Panther family artistically repurposed their anguish into a product that cinematically addresses death and the agony of forgiveness.

The concept of identity for Wakanda without the Black Panther was also heavily harped upon. The plot can feel a little aimless with emphasis on several subplots–however entertaining– that don’t feel narrative-centric and include a long-winded resolution and plot twist that was difficult to process. Coogler also enlists several different genre-bending scenes which add an unpredictable flavor to the tone of the film; the siren song is horror inspired, the Talokan introduction is a fairytale sequence, and the Dora Milaje ambush is action perfection 101. Some might classify these inconsistencies as misgivings, but on the contrary, it perfectly represents a nation going through a crisis of faith and identity. Coogler masterfully navigates an accurate portrayal of directionless people, deliberately focusing on emotional outbursts and numerous side characters to emphasize different grieving processes and the inability of cohesion and order without the Black Panther. Do not be mistaken, the film’s erraticism was deliberate; having an unpredictable voice, was in turn, the perfect voice.

Taking us back to the Golden Era, Coogler said ‘to hell with the banal comedy and nostalgia bating several other Phase 4 projects are dripping with.’ Self contained, Wakanda Forever does what it knows best– a fastidious cinematic direction, emphasis on rich cultural references (African & Mayan in this case), a strong emotional undercurrent, and not allowing comedy to be its driving tonal force. The film, like very few before it, felt like an independently created project injected with Marvel characters establishing a fresh and artistic flare complemented by action sequences and comedic relief as opposed to being reliant on it. Are there some plot points that felt loosely tied together and nonsensical? Yes, as is Marvel’s way when biting off more than they can chew. But the end product, a fantastical action tribute that didn’t completely depend on fanbaiting, holds up in a cinematic realm separate from the MCU.

Pulling influences from Mayan and Mexican cultures, the warriors from Talokan are ironically first seen as blue, ruthless savages. It’s not until Namor captures Shuri and shows her their way of life that a different tune is sung. In one of the most humanizing scenes in Marvel history, Shuri is whisked through the “streets” of Talokan as children play games and wave to her as she passes; an entire self-sustaining population worthy of being protected. However achieved, the execution of this magical scene was indescribable as a wave of emotions poured into the theater at the sight of such ethereality and decontamination. Coogler breathes life into the existence of two culturally enriching societies, with ideologically independent governing philosophies separate from the white dominant oligopoly that threatens to steal both communities' Vibranium.

The Black Panther series does an incredible job empowering stereotypically marginalized communities, as well as having morally ambiguous anti-heroes as its main antagonists. With traces of Killmonger’s philosophy, the introduction of Namor brings to the table another conflict of moral ideology– who knew a Marvel duology could produce such introspective subtexts? After European colonization and enslavement, Namor was born to a fleeing people, supplanted in a new underwater kingdom, sworn to a simple purpose: protect his people by any means necessary. The Black Panther universe is ethically dubious, and the power in that is represented in the audiences desire to root for both superhero and villain. The ubiquity of fallibility in the leadership of Wakanda and Talokan is as omnipresent as the Vibranium from which they built their empires; arguably Wakanda Forever’s greatest strength. The ability to create a moral dilemma, acknowledge good and evil, empathize, is Coogler’s heart-shaped herb.

Despite its shortcomings, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever transcends the Marvel Cinematic Universe and successfully establishes itself as a cinematic heavyweight. A project built around heavy hearts and adjusted scripts, Coogler and The Black Panther family continued the legacy of Chadwick Boseman proudly and honorably. If Wakanda Forever gives us anything, it's the hope that an elevated Marvel trajectory is possibly underway, a cinematic turnover Martin Scorsese can finally be proud of.