On August 28, 2020, Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer. The death of Chadwick Boseman shook the world, his death coming as a surprise to everyone except for a few of Boseman’s loved ones who’d supported him in his years-long battle against Cancer. The script for Black Panther 2, as the movie was then called, was completely rewritten, at the time of Boseman’s death, it was a mere month away from the start of production.

The sequel made in Boseman’s absence, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, did an amazing job paying homage to Chadwick which only reminded us about the unfortunate truth at the heart of the film. Overall, I believe Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was well-paced but slightly too exposition-heavy in the first half. To start, it had loads of dialogue with little bits and pieces of action in between which was surprising to me considering the nature of Marvel films. Although the dialogue could get a bit lackluster at times, it was still quite relevant and useful to the story they were trying to tell. Even without watching the characters intensely, you could feel the scenes that were happening affected the actors on a personal level, the fictional grief and the real grief these actors must be feeling at the loss of Boseman and his on-screen counterpart blending together. The ensemble all felt like one big family. I always say when the crowd interacts with what’s happening on the screen whether it be through clapping or gasping, you know they have done a good job at drawing the viewer in. In my theater, people were clapping and gasping almost constantly as if we were watching a UFC match. 

From the theater shaking from the sound effects to memorable visuals, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made sure it was a Marvel movie through and through. The special effects were up to the level of most Marvel movies, not blowing me away, but successfully meeting all of my expectations. The potential for breathtaking special effects was high for this movie since new locations and worlds were showcased. New unique characters being introduced gave the effects artists the space they needed to be creative in the execution of the effects. 

If I were to choose which Black Panther movie I enjoyed the most, I would choose the first Black Panther. I believe there was significantly more action than dialogue and a better sense of worldbuilding and character development in the first film. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, to me, was more of a tribute to the Black Panther himself because of how much it reiterated that the Black Panther was Wakanda’s primary protector and the only thing standing between them and total collapse. It was less of a continuation of the story of Wakanda. 

Make sure to stay for the end credits because it was a treat. It gives so much hope for the future of the franchise and the character despite the passing of the original Black Panther that everybody in the theater could not hold back their applause. Above all, it reaffirms the power of the mantle of the Black Panther.