Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continues to empower its reign in the Marvel Cinematic Universe despite the real-life loss of the Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman
Spoilers ahead! If you haven’t seen the new MCU film, read at your own risk.
The newly released sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is an MCU tribute film to an enormous legacy that Chadwick Boseman left after his passing. This film is a befitting continuation for everyone following the journey of T’Challa, the king of Wakanda and the Black Panther himself. It is not a tale of good against evil, but of acceptance—an acceptance that strengthened Wakanda and kept them running amid the death of their protector.
With its central theme about real and imagined grief, we listed down how the film showcased the mourning process of the entire team behind the movie as it led to a strong comeback from its cast, an affective soundtrack, and the awaited transformation of Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, as the new Black Panther.
Marvel’s tribute-filled intro and flashback montage
Four years ago, when Black Panther premiered in theaters, no one knew it could experience the loss of the man behind its name. This is why the passing of Chadwick Boseman hit hard and is still felt by many up to this day. And one way to give tribute to both King T’Challa and Chadwick Boseman is through a Marvel opening theme dedicated only to the original Black Panther. It is an unthinkable move on Marvel’s part to include such a tribute to give honor not only to Chadwick’s portrayal of the iconic hero, but also for the hardest fight he had gone through in real life—a fight against his incurable disease.
The character of Chadwick, king of Wakanda, indeed raised the stakes of acting for everybody in the MCU. So for the Black Panther sequel, screenwriter and director Ryan Coogler made sure to pay a beautiful and glorious tribute to the actor through flashback montages showing his pristine work as the now-former titular character, ensuring that his legacy lives on forever. As the film featured a lot of flashbacks from the movies wherein T’Challa made an appearance, we almost can’t help but realize the reality that unlike the deaths of other superheroes, Chadwick’s Black Panther is the only story that no one can rewrite.
A film soundtrack specifically tailored for the sequel
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is emotional up and down the board, with several scenes written to get your eyes watery. And Rihanna’s comeback songs titled “Lift Me Up” and “Born Again” have huge contributions in evoking emotions not only from the audience, but also from the characters’ individual journeys in the film.
King T’Challa’s funeral
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever begins immediately with T’Challa’s funeral led by Queen Ramonda. This scene marked the start of the ritual mourning of the Wakandans where we can see and feel the sincerity of the cast beyond the portrayal of their characters. In the funeral scene, a close-up shot was pinned on the engraved Black Panther mask on the coffin.
Return of the Black Panther through Shuri
In the first movie, we can recall that King T’Challa uttered these words: “We must find a way to look after one another as if we are one single tribe.” This statement was the reason why Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cast a brand new light for Shuri to step up and lead Wakanda to honor her brother. Although Shuri’s motivation started as a form of revenge, the principles of the original Black Panther, through advice and guidance from M’Baku, reminded Shuri that her purpose was against her brother’s wishes.
Even though it is impossible to bring back Black Panther in the form of Chadwick Boseman, the transformation of Shuri as the new protector of Wakanda pays tribute to the former king’s sole purpose, which is to make sure the people of Wakanda are safe.
The plot twist we didn’t know we needed
The biggest plot twist stands as the exact picture of hope that both the MCU and its fans need amid the passing of Chadwick Boseman. In the film’s post-credit scene, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia revealed to Shuri that she has a son with T’Challa named Touissant. The emotional scene got even more meaningful because the little boy revealed that while Touissant was his Haitian name, he was still named after his father, making him Prince T’Challa. The former Black Panther’s son is the film’s final symbol of a legacy that will surely be remembered from the present until the future generation.
Featured Image from CHADWICK BOSEMAN (via Instagram)
