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The center of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”—the sequel to the hugely popular “ Black Panther ,” and a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman —is sincere, even if the overall film feels manufactured. It begins with a funeral for the recently deceased King T'Challa. Shuri ( Letitia Wright ) and Queen Ramonda ( Angela Bassett ) are dressed in white, following the black coffin, whose top features a silver emblem of the Black Panther mask and the crossed arms of the Wakanda salute. Their mournful procession, winding through the kingdom, is contrasted with slow-motion tracking shots of dancers jubilantly dancing in memory of their fallen king. After the coffin arrives at a clearing, where it ceremoniously rises to the sky, we cut to an earnest, emotional montage of Boseman as T'Challa. The solemn, aching continuum of images soon forms the “Marvel Studios” logo, announcing that this is still a Marvel movie. And “Wakanda Forever” is all the worse for it.

What was the secret ingredient for the success of “Black Panther”? Similar to the resplendent, secluded African nation of Wakanda, “Black Panther” existed just outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It mostly stood on its own without the crushing requirements felt by every other film: The humor existed between the characters, not as random references to another property; the characters (with Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue as an exception) were particular to the story; the concerns rarely drifted toward franchise building aspirations.

But writer/director Ryan Coogler and his co-writer Joe Robert Cole don't possess the same kind of freedom with this melancholy sequel. Some limitations aren't within their control, such as the tragic death of Boseman. Others feel like a capitulation to assimilate into a movie-making machine.

The hulking script is chock-full of ideas and themes. Rather than fighting their common enemy (white colonists), two kingdoms helmed by people of color are pitted against each other (an idea that never thematically lands), and the film must delve into the cultural pain that still exists from the historical annihilation of Central and South America’s Indigenous kingdoms. It must also contend with a bevy of other requirements: setting up the Marvel TV series “Ironheart” (in which Dominique Thorne will star), acknowledging The Snap, grieving Boseman’s death, and finding a new Black Panther. These competing interests are no less smoothed out by MCU’s blockbuster demands (that this must be a mainstream hit and usher in the next phase of the cinematic universe) and the weight of satiating Black folks who feel seen by the fantastical confirmation of Black regalism. It’s too much for one movie. And you get the sense that this should’ve been two.

At nearly every turn, "Wakanda Forever" fails, starting with its setup. Colonist countries, now afraid of an African superpower, are scouring the world, from sea to sea, searching for vibranium (the metallic ore that powers the African kingdom). A young scientist named Riri (Thorne, treated as a plucky afterthought) plays a role in a search that leads mercenaries deep underwater where they encounter Namor/Kukulkan (a menacing and bold Tenoch Huerta ), the king of Talokan, and his people, who are none too happy with the surface world. They want to destroy it. The godly Namor, his ears pointed to the sky, his winged feet fluttering, later surfaces in Wakanda. With water still dripping from his jade earrings and glimmering, vibranium-pearl-gold necklace, he approaches a still mournful Ramonda and a bitter Shuri with a threat masquerading as an alliance. His appearance causes Wakanda to turn to Everett Ross ( Martin Freeman ), which leads to other cameos and subplots that weigh down the entire film with franchise expectations.

What’s imperative to “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is the way Coogler centers righteous rage. Ramonda’s first big scene is her admonishing the United Nations for expecting her to share vibranium with the world, even as they try to steal the resource from her nation. Bassett, with a capital-A, acts in a sequence where her voice booms, her gaze is fixed and unforgiving, and the venom is felt. And yet, Shuri, who has buried herself in her lab, developing dangerous weapons, feels worse. She wants to see the world burn. Their shared anger forces a spew of short-sighted decisions that lead to further escalations with Namor—who desperately angles to avenge his mother and his ancestors. The film attempts to position the trio as different stages of grief, but in trying to get viewers up to speed on the atrocities experienced by Namor, it becomes slow and overblown.

Maybe somewhere a way existed to connect these arcs. But that would require better visual storytelling than the movie offers. Far too often, the dialogue stays on the surface, either by providing reams of exposition, externalizing exactly what’s on the character’s mind or by trying to meld together the real-life loss felt by the actors with that of the characters. The latter certainly offers these performers a necessary chance to process their hurt on screen, but when did filmmakers forget how to show without telling? Why are contemporary blockbusters so enamored with holding the audience’s hand by providing every minute detail? At one point, after Namor explains his entire backstory, Shuri responds with, “Why are you telling me all of this?” It feels like a note Coogler gave to himself.

The shortcomings in dialogue and story, and how often “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” bows to IP-driven needs, would be easier to stomach if the visual components weren’t so creaky. The jittery fight sequences are too difficult to follow: inelegant compositions blur into an incomprehensible sludge with every cut by editors Michael P. Shawver , Kelley Dixon , and Jennifer Lame . Admittedly, there were projection issues with my screening of the film, so I will refrain from totally dismissing the all-too-dark lighting, but the actual framing by cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, working with the film’s copious visual effects, lacks a sense of space anyways. Scenes of everyday life in Wakanda—Black folks shopping, communities laughing and enjoying each other’s company—that once filled the viewer with joy feel artificial here. The vast landscapes of the nation, which once were filled with splendor, are now murky backgrounds. Some of that awe is recaptured when we see Talokan and its immense Mayan architecture and decorative wall paintings. But you wish, much like “Black Panther,” that Namor was first given his movie where these scenes could breathe, and we could become as integrated into this kingdom as we became in Wakanda.

Ultimately, this film attempts to set up the future through Shuri. Wright is a talented actress with the ability to emotionally shoulder a movie when given good material. But she is constantly working against the script here. She fights past a cringe cameo; she fights past clunky jokes; she fights past an ending that feels all too neat. An assured and charismatic Winston Duke as M’Baku is there to help, and a misused Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia is there for assistance. Okoye, played by Danai Gurira , provides resilience. And new addition Michaela Coel (“I May Destroy You”) as Aneka, a quirky character who tonally doesn’t work in this somber ensemble, is there for comic relief ... I guess? In any case, the collective front of these performers isn't enough to stem the tide of a movie that relies on shouting matches and broad visual and political metaphors that have been boiled down to their uncomplicated essence rather than their complex truths (which isn’t unlike Rihanna’s turgid soundtrack offering “Lift Me Up”).

A major sea battle ensues, new, ropey gadgets are employed, and loose ends are inarticulately tied. Another montage dedicated to Boseman occurs, and while the film is messy, you’re relieved that it begins and ends on the right foot. That is, until the saccharine post-credit scene. I’m not sure what Coogler was thinking. He had more weight on him for this movie than any filmmaker deserves. But when this scene occurred, I audibly groaned at what amounts to a weepy, treacly moment that’s wholly unnecessary, emotionally manipulative, and partially unearned. It’s one of the many instances where “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” might have its heart in the right place but is in the wrong mindset and the worst space—at the center of a contrived cinematic universe—to mourn on its own terms.

Available in theaters on November 11th.

Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels is an Associate Editor at RogerEbert.com. Based in Chicago, he is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) and Critics Choice Association (CCA) and regularly contributes to the New York Times , IndieWire , and Screen Daily . He has covered film festivals ranging from Cannes to Sundance to Toronto. He has also written for the Criterion Collection, the Los Angeles Times , and Rolling Stone about Black American pop culture and issues of representation.

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Film Credits

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie poster

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action and some language.

161 minutes

Letitia Wright as Shuri / Black Panther

Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia

Angela Bassett as Ramonda

Danai Gurira as Okoye

Winston Duke as M'Baku

Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart

Tenoch Huerta as Namor

Florence Kasumba as Ayo

Michaela Coel as Aneka

Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross

Mabel Cadena as Namora

Alex Livinalli as Attuma

Danny Sapani as M'Kathu

Isaach de Bankolé as River Tribe Elder

Gigi Bermingham as French Secretary of State

Ryan Coogler

Writer (story by)

Joe Robert Cole

Cinematogapher

Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Jennifer Lame
Michael P. Shawver
Kelley Dixon
Ludwig Göransson

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In Memoriam: Alain Delon

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a breathtaking and cathartic step forward for the franchise

Marvel’s Black Panther sequel is a moving farewell to Chadwick Boseman and a heady rumination on the many different forms grief can take in the wake of death.

By Charles Pulliam-Moore , a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years.

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A woman standing on a beach wearing a metallic headdress along with a flowing gown featuring an angular cutout across her chest.

Ryan Coogler’s first Black Panther film hit like a meteorite in 2018 and singlehandedly disproved the (still extant) notion that predominantly Black films can’t become global phenomenons that smash all kinds of box office records while also racking up critical acclaim . Even before Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death in 2020, the prospect of recreating the first film’s success was already a nigh-unimaginable task that led many to wonder how Marvel could ever hope to top itself with a sequel.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a bigger, more ambitious, and more stirringly poignant endeavor than its predecessor. But it doesn’t feel like the product of a studio merely trying to make a financially successful follow-up to one of its most popular and well-regarded films. Rather, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever plays like the triumphant celebration of an idea, the mournful farewell to an actual hero , and a promise of even greater things to come all rolled into one.

Set some time after the events of Avengers: Endgame and one year after the sudden death of King T’Challa (Boseman), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the story of how the vibranium-rich African nation and its people find the strength to keep going after the unexpected loss of their champion. Wakanda Forever stops just short of blurring the line between fiction and reality as the broad strokes of T’Challa’s death are detailed in its opening scenes that smartly and respectfully put much more focus on how his sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), and their mother, Ramonda (Angela Bassett), are devastated by his passing.

Much in the same way that Boseman was more than just an actor to many of his fans and peers, T’Challa was more than a superhero or a typical king to those who knew him, and Wakanda Forever centers that idea in a way that makes his legacy a central part of the film. A love for Chadwick and an undying reverence for T’Challa can be felt throughout Wakanda Forever . But the movie is careful to not be so bound up in those powerful emotions that it ever feels narratively inflexible or stuck in the past — a necessary choice that plays an important role in Wakanda Forever ’s ability to move the ongoing tale of the MCU’s Black Panther forward.

Though Wakanda Forever never lets you forget that Wakanda and her people are in a nationwide state of grieving, it uses that grief as a jumping-off point to explore a number of the complicated consequences of T’Challa’s death and his actions in the first Black Panther. After an alien invasion, super terrorist attacks, and all of the other wild things that have been happening in the MCU, Wakanda finds itself in the uniquely difficult position of being seen as both the solution to and the cause of the world’s problems because of its vibranium.

As always, Wakanda’s ready and overprepared to deal with whatever incursions onto their land foreigners try to make in pursuit of their valuable metallic natural resources. But with Wakanda now openly existing as a powerful political actor on the world stage, Ramonda, as its sitting leader, has to be particularly judicious about how the nation engages with its peers, not out of fear for her people but out of a desire to keep disputes from escalating to the point of all-out conflict.

Wakanda Forever never lets you forget that Wakanda is in a nationwide state of grieving

Geopolitics is rarely what people show up to superhero movies for, but it’s the subject of some of Wakanda Forever ’s most electrifying scenes that Bassett commands with a terrifying majesty and a significant part of what makes the movie vibrate with tension. Their presence is also one of the big ways that the movie organically creates space for characters like Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and M’Baku (Winston Duke) to take on larger roles as Wakanda’s various tribes grapple with what it means for there to be no sitting Black Panther.

One of the more truly impressive things about Wakanda Forever ’s story is how its plot involving lines of succession and tradition in the context of mourning could have made for a gripping, compelling Marvel movie in and of itself. But instead of resting on those laurels, Wakanda Forever both amps things up and hearkens back to some of Black Panther ’s most potent, challenging ideas by introducing the MCU’s takes on Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) and Namor (Tenoch Huerta).

In the same way that Killmonger’s villainy in Black Panther was shot through with a heartbreaking and genuine (albeit twisted) sense of justice, Namor’s entire character is defined by an unshakable love for his people and a willingness to do anything to protect them. Wakanda Forever establishes a fascinating connection between Wakanda and Talocan — the Mesoamerica-inspired underwater kingdom Namor and his fellow water breathers call home — that further upends the world’s balance of power in ways that make Namor a threat. But who that threat is truly posed toward is a question Wakanda Forever repeatedly poses and has different answers for as Namor and his generals, Namora (Mabel Cadena) and Attuma (Alex Livinalli), lead the charge to make contact with the surface world.

There’s a pointed critique of Western colonialism and the destruction of Indigenous people baked into the essence of Wakanda Forever ’s take on Namor and Talocan that is going to draw many comparisons to Killmonger. But whereas Michael B. Jordan played his villain as a wrathful man longing to become king, Huerta’s Namor is a king who sees his superhuman genetic gifts as signs of godhood.

There’s a critique of Western colonialism and the destruction of Indigenous people baked into Wakanda Forever

Huerta brings a raw magnetism to his performance as a Namor who’s always just as ready to charm as he is to murder while sizing up other monarchs he deems worthy of his recognition and presence. In particular, scenes between Namor and Shuri stand out not for their visually dazzling qualities but because of the crackling intensity of the current running between them — two conflicted figureheads of state trying to be strategic about how they interact.

Wakanda Forever lets loose a similarly explosive energy in each of its bombastic, breathtaking set pieces that escalate in scale and stakes as Wakanda and Talocan come to butt heads in unexpected ways. But even though the movie’s action sequences are a marked upgrade over the first film’s, they ultimately end up playing second string to Wakanda Forever ’s focus on the Wakandan royal family’s emotions — and the room it gives its cast to express what very much feels like their own unscripted sorrow for Boseman’s passing.

Tragic deaths that unmoor people from their sense of self are a fixture in comic books and the stories based on them . But it’s rare that you see a film choose to really spend time centering grief the way Wakanda Forever does: as an ongoing state of being that can take on new and surprising forms as people try to deal with their feelings. Wakanda Forever isn’t just two-and-a-half hours of people being sad and expressing their frustrations with how the life of someone they loved came to an end. That, along with a deep sense of clear-eyed hope for the future, is the core of the movie, and Wakanda Forever understands how holding space for both of those feelings simultaneously is key to its story being a cathartic one.

As wooly and uneven as Marvel’s Phase Four has often felt between its entry to the streaming space and its dalliances with the multiverse , Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ’s a thrilling reminder of how sharp and smart the studio’s tentpole features can be. Rather than one-upping Black Panther , Wakanda Forever continues its story with a grace and care that’s more moving than any comic book movie has the right to be.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also stars Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel, Martin Freeman, and Lake Bell. The movie hits theaters on November 11th.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review

A loving tribute, a choppy sea change..

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters on Nov. 11. Below is a spoiler-free review.

In a cinematic universe where half of all living beings have already died and come back to life, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reminds us that losing one person can feel just as devastating. The death of T’Challa - and actor Chadwick Boseman - weighs heavy on Wakanda Forever, with the fictional nation struggling to replace both their monarch and their champion, and Marvel Studios deciding how to honor a man it was clearly ready to work with for years and years to come. Wakanda Forever is an effective, emotional farewell to T’Challa - a meditation on forging one’s own future out of a painful past - but with a plot that has to introduce an entirely new nation and pave the way for a new wave of Marvel stories, it does struggle under the weight of all that expectation.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever wastes no time addressing Boseman’s passing, with a chaotic and tense opening scene leaving Shuri (Letitia Wright) feeling responsible for her brother’s death. The funeral procession that follows speaks to the incredibly fine line Wakanda Forever has to walk: even in their mourning, there’s joyous dancing and celebration of what T’Challa brought to the nation, but Shuri’s solemnity as she moves through holding T’Challa’s Panther helmet is a strong reminder of the conflicting emotions she and the movie at large have to balance.

Wright has mostly been used as comic relief up to this point, and Shuri’s character arc necessitates refocusing that energy into how she processes her pain. Everyone in Shuri’s life is urging her to let T’Challa go, and her tendency to lash out in those cases goes a long way towards grounding Wakanda Forever during its frequent flights of fancy. It’s a sharp about-face, but Wright’s emotional availability and intensity carry Shuri through that fraught grieving process. Director Ryan Coogler builds Shuri’s slide into despair up to one of Wakanda Forever’s most jaw-dropping scenes: an unbearably tense moment of self-reflection that serves as reminder that a well-deployed exchange between two characters can be just as breathtaking as a grand battle for the fate of two nations.

It doesn’t take long for the power vacuum left by T’Challa’s death to incite a challenge to Wakanda from the outside world. With Killmonger having destroyed the Heart-Shaped Herb that granted T’Challa superhuman abilities, there’s no new Black Panther to rally behind – and even though T’Challa’s outreach program from the end of the first film remains in full effect, there’s immense political pressure for Wakanda to submit to regulations the country’s leadership fears will endanger the world. That ire is directed at Ramonda (Angela Bassett), who’s acting as steward to the throne until T’Challa’s replacement is named, and doing so in magnificent fashion. At once heartbroken and hopeful, Bassett delivers a commanding performance and, as King T’Chaka did for T’Challa, provides Shuri with a connection to her culture’s past. But though the United Nations’ ultimatum for Wakanda to relinquish control of its resources sets up Wakanda Forever’s themes of colonialism well, this storyline is largely abandoned after the conflict draws Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) and his underwater kingdom of Talokan into the fray.

Who do you think will be the new Black Panther?

As that society’s figurehead, Namor is an engaging antagonist - whipping a helicopter around like a shotput in midair 30 seconds into your introduction means the audience will at least wanna see what kind of havoc this guy wreaks on the battlefield. But while he’s a force to be reckoned with, Tenoch Huerta Mejía’s performance is at its best in Namor’s intense dialogue scenes with Shuri, as the two share much in common as important members of their monarchies’ royal families.

Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole infuse Talokan’s culture with Mesoamerican history, which gives Namor’s resolve to go to any lengths to protect his people’s home and resources a real richness. Talokan is an interesting society for the MCU to explore in the future, but Wakanda Forever doesn’t establish it quite as gracefully as Black Panther did Wakanda. Outside of a few establishing shots early during our introduction to Talokan, much of our understanding of it comes from narration during a rushed flashback of its origins, and some important details during that scene feel brushed over. Coogler and team took pains last time to dive into both the political and societal structures of Wakanda, and while Talokan’s past is interesting, what it’s like in the present remains a bit murky throughout, especially because there are only two other named Talokanil given any significant screen time.

Of course, an opposing force of a nation of undersea warriors provides Wakanda Forever ample opportunity for maritime mayhem, and gives the MCU a new palette for action. Wakanda Forever does, however, push its luck too far going into the climactic third act battle with a poorly conceived and logically baffling tactical choice. Still, credit where it’s due when it comes to the more personal side of that encounter: Coogler definitely seems to have taken the note on the first film’s digital effects-heavy final duel and Wakanda Forever’s corresponding final confrontation is much more grounded and effective.

Befitting Wakanda Forever’s outsized emphasis on community, T’Challa’s peers are called on to step into older sibling roles for Shuri, and the supporting cast rise to meet the moment. Danai Gurira’s Okoye is willing to put her career at risk to aid Shuri’s grieving process - and gets more dimension for herself, though Okoye’s standout scene is an emotional exchange with Ramonda.

Winston Duke’s M’Baku is a scene-stealer from the moment he saunters in whilst chomping on a vegetable. T’Challa’s positive influence is at its most visible in how the Jabari leader’s edges have softened, as M’Baku provides Shuri with surprisingly sensitive counsel in one of her darkest moments. As T’Challa’s love, Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) ends up supporting Shuri through the most personal parts of her journey, and while she enters the story too late to make too much of an impact, she does facilitate some memorable moments in the movie’s latter half. Collectively, T’Challa’s friends are there to remind Shuri that life goes on, even if Shuri isn’t ready to accept that at first.

The other new additions to Wakanda Forever’s roster represent a tendency of Wakanda Forever’s to overindulge in the other ongoing plotlines the MCU is building out, with Dominique Thorne’s fiery, industrious Riri Williams as the best example. Riri’s personality is infectious, and her appearance certainly sets an intriguing stage for Disney+’s Ironheart series , but Wakanda Forever bends over backwards and burns valuable time on keeping her involved in the action far past the point of believability. The saving grace there is that Riri gives Shuri someone to act as an older sibling (or a Tony Stark) for as a means of celebrating T’Challa, something that Coogler takes maybe too light a touch in highlighting.

Marvel's Namor Explained: Who Is the Sub-Mariner?

Riri’s embedded with the main players, so she at least feels relevant, but Wakanda Forever’s aimless political subplot shows its hand as being almost pure MCU housekeeping as Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) is paired with an MCU up-and-comer with plenty on their plate. That character is a huge personality and though they bring a fun energy to scenes with Ross as he attempts to aid the Wakandans, they become more distracting and less essential as Wakanda Forever goes on. It may be the nature of making movies in this universe these days, but there’s a significant disconnect between scenes in Wakanda Forever that feel vital in how they develop characters and the ones that just feel more like homework for next time.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had to be a sequel to a cultural juggernaut, a tease of upcoming MCU adventures, and of course, a loving farewell. There are stretches where the struggle to balance those mandates scatters the focus of the story, but nuanced and committed performances from the returning cast keep it grounded when it counts. Tenoch Huerta Mejía’s Namor is a strong foil to Shuri, challenging both her ideology and her grieving process, and his nation of Talokan gets a thoughtful (if rushed) history to complement the film’s themes of colonialism. Director/co-writer Ryan Coogler’s efforts are at their most powerful when Wakanda Forever is in conversation with the loss of T’Challa – of Chadwick Boseman. The specifics of Wakanda Forever’s long-winded plot will likely leave little impact, but that doesn’t stop the new Black Panther from standing tall.

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A secne from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” showing the actress Angela Bassett, wearing a dress, seated on a throne in front of a window, with two others dressed in armor and holding spears on either side. At far left, another actor is seated.

By A.O. Scott

The first “Black Panther” movie opened in February 2018. A lot has changed since then, both in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in the one that most of us non-superheroes are compelled to inhabit.

The most tragic and consequential change was surely the death, in 2020, of Chadwick Boseman , whose performance as King T’Challa had seemed to signal the arrival of a franchise-defining new star. Even before that, the Marvel/Disney corporate strategy was shifting into a post- “Avengers” phase, as the familiar heroes were dispersed into a multiplatform multiverse of stories, sometimes joined by alternative versions of themselves. And of course, here in the real world…

Let’s not even go there. The political situation in the fictional African nation of Wakanda is complicated enough. In “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the director Ryan Coogler feeds his own and the public’s grief into the story, infusing the movie with somber notes of family loss and collective mourning. There is also a sense of the disorder that follows in the wake of a charismatic, unifying leader.

T’Challa’s mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), has assumed the throne, at least for the moment. His younger sister, the scientific prodigy Shuri (Letitia Wright), scrambles to honor her brother’s memory and fill his shoes. The center is holding, but the kingdom nonetheless seems vulnerable, as the outside world conspires to gain access to Wakanda’s reserves of vibranium, a rare mineral with daunting military and industrial uses. The benevolent global order that T’Challa led his nation into has given way to one based on deceit, subversion and exploitation.

Thanks to Ramonda’s regal diplomatic skills and the fighting prowess of the Jabari, led by M’Baku (Winston Duke), and the Dora Milaje, led by the mighty Okoye (Danai Gurira), Wakanda can hold its own against the United States and France. The real threat comes from under the sea, where the long-isolated aquatic nation of Talokan controls the planet’s only other source of vibranium.

The king of Talokan, who goes by Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) is a demigod with pointy ears and wings on his ankles. Comic-book fans will recognize him as the Sub-Mariner, a complicated hero whose pedigree stretches all the way back into late-1930s Marvel prehistory. For the purposes of “Wakanda Forever,” he is a villain, albeit one with a legitimate grudge and a coherent political argument.

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From his [Ryan Coogler] dynamic vision of recreating Namor’s origin to his exploration of themes of Indigenous Latin cultures, Wakanda Forever is an innovative and refreshing take on superhero lore.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Jul 8, 2024

The entire film aches with a melancholy at the passing of Boseman but it feels like a film that wants to embrace him and move on in his memory rather than wallow in the sadness of the loss.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 5, 2024

The pacing, demons, and storytelling monsters take down the film.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 27, 2023

“Wakanda Forever” is an epic, emotional and profound film that examines the impact of collective anguish.

Full Review | Oct 26, 2023

Apart from the overarching themes of death, loss, revenge and owning your destiny, and all the eye-popping battles atop barnacle-crusted whales and dolphins no less, Black Panther 2 works in the smaller, intimate moments too.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2023

This was a fantastic way to wrap out Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Full Review | Sep 23, 2023

Coogler uses the sequel to similarly popularize Mayan Futurism with the sumptuous introduction of the Talokans, which makes the Wakandans seem quotidian in comparison.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 16, 2023

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever rises to a difficult challenge with strong characters, superb acting and visual effects that are a marvel.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Aug 9, 2023

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a powerful treatise on grieving, and how that process can seep into every thought and action, even subconsciously.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 9, 2023

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may not quite measure up to its predecessor, but it leaves a proud, beautiful, silent tribute to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, telling an emotionally powerful, resonant story about how grief can truly be love persevering.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jul 25, 2023

Plays with ideas and characters that initially intrigue, but drowns them in tiresome excessive Marvel lore and universe expansion.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Jul 25, 2023

This sequel acts as an uplifting reminder that grief is real and losing someone close doesn't mean losing all hope in the power of community.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

Beautiful tribute about Grief & the cycle of violence. Epic in almost all standards but slower in pacing to tell a different kind of story in the MCU.

As evocative as it is in the film, light pierces through every shot, every storyline, and every performance, making it a remarkable love letter to grief and healing.

Full Review | Jul 23, 2023

Wakanda Forever is the best Black Panther sequel it could have been, acting both as a tribute to Boseman and a poignant story about change and rebirth.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 23, 2023

We deserve a story about Africanness and Diasporic Blackness that’s not hampered by the white gaze that would refuse us peace, justice, unity and vengeance. In the MCU, no matter who’s at the helm, that’s just not possible.

Full Review | Jul 20, 2023

Black Panther Wakanda Forever is undoubtedly one of the worst movies of the year and a clear indication for Marvel to start making movies again instead of peddling products that promote future products.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jul 20, 2023

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" doesn't have the punch that the first movie did, but how could it? Sequels rarely do.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 16, 2023

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is constrained by its genre and studio from being a great film. It is nonetheless an entertaining one with intriguing characters and intense visuals.

Full Review | Jun 14, 2023

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‘black panther: wakanda forever’ review: ryan coogler’s rousing sequel doubles as a soulful chadwick boseman tribute.

Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira return to defend their grieving nation from a new threat in the hotly anticipated follow-up.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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Angela Bassett as Ramonda in Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Is Not Your Typical Marvel Movie

Dorothy Steel as Merchant Tribe Elder Florence Kasumba as Ayo Angela Bassett as Ramonda Danai Gurira as Okoye in Marvel...

The release of Black Panther was like nothing before it. The impact, immediate and abiding, was cosmic. That the film premiered during the Trump years, a dystopian period in 2018 when Black life felt more precarious than usual and the call for Black superheroes more urgent, gave its message a special charge. It was a phenomenon three times over—a commercial, critical, and cultural triumph.

King T’Challa was a new-age hero for a new, uncertain time. No stranger to larger-than-life roles, Chadwick Boseman brought poise and charisma to the performance alongside an all-star ensemble that included Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan. Black Panther had teeth, and it was smart enough to skirt the easy trap of representation in an industry starved for color and meaning. A credit to director Ryan Coogler and co-screenwriter Joe Robert Cole, the movie was about more than the miracle of being acknowledged; it was a measure of genuine progress. It spoke to us and we answered back. New Black futures—intricate and lush and free—were opening up.

Unforeseen in one of those futures was Boseman’s passing, in 2020, from colon cancer. Franchises are built on star power, and without Boseman, one of Marvel’s brightest and most promising, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is haunted by his absence , draped in the kind of sorrow that can’t be ignored. It’s rare for MCU films to channel the turbulence of grief with such unflinching focus ( WandaVision came close in its unconventional depiction of spousal heartache and its psychological aftershocks). The positioning is curious but effective. I hesitate to call Wakanda Forever a new kind of superhero blockbuster—it hasn’t totally reinvented the wheel—but it’s close. Coogler has equipped his sequel with a changed vocabulary: It speaks equally from a place of loss as it does triumph. Grief is its mother tongue.

The king is dead, and the eyes of the world are once again on Wakanda. Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) has assumed the throne, and, in the year since her son’s passing, done her best to maintain the African nation’s standing as a sovereign power. The only known nation to have it, Wakanda remains rich in vibranium—the mystical ore used to create cutting-edge weaponry and tech—and refuses to share its resources with allies (in one early scene, French soldiers attempt to steal some and quickly get their asses kicked by undercover Dora Milaje agents). Greed being the spark for all manner of conflict throughout history, Cooler and Cole are keen to jumpstart the story in such a way. The US government begins a vibranium-tracking operation in the Atlantic Ocean but it is mysteriously thwarted by an unknown power—the people of Talokan, an underwater empire home to the only other wellspring of vibranium on Earth.

Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) is their wounded leader, and hell bent on keeping Talokan’s existence a secret. He's got mutant superpowers—heightened strength, aquatic regeneration, and flight (thanks to the wings on his ankles)—and commands his nation with a meticulous, if forceful, hand. (In the comics, Namor is known as the Sub-Mariner and hails from Atlantis.) The mining operation threatens to expose his oceanic utopia so he devises a plan to stop it: kill the genius scientist who built the vibranium-tracking device (Riri Williams, introducing Ironheart to the MCU) and align with Wakanda against the surface world. But Wakanda refuses. And the two nations find themselves staring down almost certain war.

A war, as it turns out, that isn’t quite as persuasive as the animating principles behind it. Like the US government’s relentless appetite for global influence. Or the all-consuming rage Shuri (Letitia Wright) feels from the loss of her brother, and the very real way it drives her to action. Or how Namor’s villainy, if it should even be called that, is rooted somewhere deeper, somewhere more human. He’s cut from the cloth of classic MCU antiheroes. Like Wanda. Like Kang. Namor is regaled in paradox and not completely unjustified in his wrath. It’s all in how nicely his backstory is propped: He is the descendant of a 16th-century Meso-American tribe that fled enslavement and was forced to find refuge underwater. He’s a survivor from a people who learned to survive under horrific conditions. His morals have weight.

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All of Coogler’s defining touchstones are present. He adopts the same diasporic hybridity that made the original Black Panther a singular feat (production designer Hannah Beachler and costume designer Ruth Carter both returned for the sequel ). This time, beyond Wakanda’s emerald fields and swarming marketplaces, we are introduced to Namor’s aquatic eden. What Beachler and Carter devised is a visual elixir that pulls from Mayan folklore: the dress, speech, and architecture are all threaded with striking Indigenous details. One of the great failures of the movie, however, is that we don’t spend more time meandering through the underwater city, getting insight into its people and their culture.

I’ve been told before that trauma freezes at the peak. It demands that we temper our pace, that we take stock of the totality of what’s happened, the bleeding ache of it. Ramonda and Shuri do their best to shoulder unimaginable grief, to remember what they lost. The thing is, superhero films—the narrative logic of them—demand a certain momentum. They need to keep moving. They flicker like a comic book, pane by pane, never resting too long before the next scene. Grief asks the opposite of us. It wants us to pause, to slow our steps. This is where Wakanda Forever is most at odds: It has a hard time deciding just what it should feel, what emotion it wants to land on. But maybe that’s the truer film. The more honest one. It’s not as neat. It’s unseemly but more vulnerable as a result.

The central aspect that makes Wakanda Forever a unique Marvel movie—grief as its centerpiece—is also the aspect I find least satisfying about it. Of course, you can’t ignore it in a film like this. You can’t avoid the fog that arises and the pain that feels like it might never leave. You have to circle it. You have to face it head on. In some way, you have to make it the story.

And what that looks like, what it beautifully materializes into in a movie like Wakanda Forever , is what it has always looked like: capable and caring Black women—mothers and sisters and friends—making use of the grief they’ve been saddled with and not letting it make use of them. Even in Afrofuturist utopias a fact of Black life is stubbornly persistent: Not even our superheroes can outmaneuver death.

And when they don’t prove invincible—what then? Those who remain find a way to fight, to heal. It’s an age-old story, and tragically too real. It’s one you’ve probably heard before. It’s one that never loses meaning.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a thunderous ode to love conquering death

Tremendous performances and Ryan Coogler’s bold storytelling find the triumph in tragedy

by Toussaint Egan

Shuri in her gold-streaked Black Panther suit, standing in a dark throne room, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a film of many contrasts. At its heart, it’s a story about grief: the ways people grieve, the love born out of grief, and the anger that emerges from having lost something worth grieving. It’s a film about the ebb and flow between science and faith, the struggle between technology and tradition in the frantic search for answers to unanswerable questions. Ultimately, it’s a story about the resiliency of those who fight and live on in the face of insurmountable odds, and in honor of those who left us far too soon, yet still live on in our hearts.

[ Ed. note: This is a spoiler-free review. Further in-depth coverage of the film’s plot points to come, marked with spoiler warnings.]

The premise of Ryan Coogler’s follow-up to his 2018 film Black Panther arises so organically from its predecessor that most of the turbulence around the film’s production is left invisible. In Black Panther , Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) destroys Wakanda’s entire supply of the heart-shaped herb — the bioluminescent flower responsible for endowing Wakanda’s hero-protector, the Black Panther, with regenerative vitality and superhuman strength. And T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) chooses to reveal Wakanda’s true power on the global stage.

Both elements are just as significant to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , as Boseman’s death in 2020, a loss so monumental that proceeding without acknowledging it — via the “I’m a different person now; let’s move on” method that the Marvel Cinematic Universe used to recast Edward Norton’s version of Bruce Banner, or Terrence Howard’s take on Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes — would be an unconscionable disservice. And not only to his memory, but to the impact Boseman had on developing Black Panther’s character , and the impact that Black Panther had on its audience.

Shuri (Letitia Wright) adorned in a white funeral shawl with wearing long ivory earrings in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

King T’Challa is dead. Nearly a year after his sudden passing, his friends and loved ones continue to mourn, retreating into the shelter of their respective habits and obligations to shield themselves from the emotional brunt of their loss. Meanwhile, the outside world trains its sights on Wakanda, vying to claim its invaluable resources. An even greater threat emerges in the form of the mythical underwater city of Talokan and its leader: the wing-footed mutant Namor (Tenoch Huerta), who’s worshiped by his people as a living god.

As a consequence of T’Challa deciding to share the truth about Wakanda’s technological advances with the rest of the world at the end of Black Panther , Namor has reason to believe Earth will soon discover Talokan’s existence. That threat inspires him to rise from the depths of the ocean and declare preemptive war against the surface world. His actions quickly make him an enemy of Wakanda and its ruler, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett). Namor is undeterred by this, however. If Wakanda will not back his war, then as far as he’s concerned, they can catch these hands too.

Like Black Panther before it, Wakanda Forever arrives in American theaters at a time of great significance and political uncertainty, both within its own universe and in our real-world culture. The original film — which brought to life the dream of the African diaspora in the form of Wakanda, an African nation that was never conquered or despoiled of its resources by Western powers — was released just a month after Donald Trump derided African nations, Haiti, and El Salvador as “shithole countries.” The timing was so apt and poetic that it defied coincidence.

A man in an elaborate feather headdress (played by Tenoch Huerta) and cape swims in front of a gigantic glowing sphere in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Wakanda Forever somehow feels even more intimately woven into the tapestry of its own moment, which is both extraordinary and fitting. With T’Challa’s death (and Boseman’s) at its crux, Wakanda Forever is an altogether darker, more complicated film than its predecessor. Coogler’s script, co-credited to Joe Robert Cole, focuses on the ways in which grief can morph into something awful and hateful under duress, and if left unresolved for too long. In their respective mourning, Shuri and Namor are foils, accentuating by example the self-destructive ways in which denying grief only serves to prolong it.

The resemblances extend to their respective cultures, with Wakanda and Talokan — though continents and oceans apart — sharing a common spirit of defensive isolationism born out of fear of the destructive abuses of colonialism. Both nations revere their anointed leaders as gods, whose powers may or may not be derived from the same otherworldly force, which adds to the emotional heft of their inevitable conflict.

Coogler’s sequel is a more somber affair than 2018’s Black Panther , but it has its moments of levity, which arguably shine brighter here because of that darkness. In the absence of T’Challa, Shuri finds camaraderie in the company of Okoye (Danai Gurira), the general of the Dora Milaje honor guard, and T’Challa’s former lover Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), an older-sister figure who offers consolation and commiseration. Shuri’s rapid bond with Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), an MIT student and fellow child prodigy, offers her something she’s never had before: a friend who understands what it’s like to be young, Black, and exceptional in a world that casually resents people who are any of those things, let alone all three.

A group of blue-skinned Talokan warriors stand in the middle of a bridge at night, one of them wearing an elaborate orange feathered helmet, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

But of all the relationships in the film, perhaps none are more significant than the evolving bond between Shuri and M’Baku (Winston Duke). Where years before, the leader of the Jabari Tribe challenged T’Challa in ritual combat for the throne and dismissed Shuri as nothing more than a child scoffing at tradition, M’Baku cares for and now has great respect for her, at one point telling her, “You have lost too much to still be considered a child.”

The cast, on the whole, is spectacular. Huerta radiates power, charisma, and haughty self-assurance in his turn as Namor, darting across the sky with agility and ease, like Hermes out of Greek myth. Angela Bassett’s performance as Ramonda goes right for the heartstrings, conjuring the unmistakable poise and regality of a queen in mourning, forced to shoulder both the grief of her loss and the fate of a nation. Michaela Coel of I May Destroy You fame shows up in a brief yet significant supporting role as the Dora Milaje warrior Aneka, whose exosuit was inspired by Brian Stelfreeze’s artistic work on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ run of Black Panther comics.

And then, of course, there’s Letitia Wright, whose lead performance as Shuri serves as the entire film’s emotional anchor. Wright delivers a powerful depiction of a young woman who, having lost both her father and her brother in such a short period of time, is forced to question everything she’s ever known about herself, her people, and her role in the world, both as a scientist and as a member of the Wakandan royal family.

Shuri (Letitia Wright) stands in a throne room surrounded by pillars of fire reflected against pools of water in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The action on the whole, including the inevitable CG set-pieces, shows a marked improvement over Black Panther . In what feels like a reprise of the chase scene between T’Challa and Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) through the streets of Busan, an action sequence set in Cambridge, Massachusetts, builds to similarly explosive effect. That scene is only a taste of what the film offers in its latter half, with elaborate choreography and dizzying cinematography that represents some of the best seen in a Marvel film to date. That said, the lighting during the nighttime sequences is atrocious, obscuring the characters and their actions to a point that defies even the most charitable reading of deliberate artistic intent.

As was the case with the first film, Wakanda Forever ’s soundtrack and score remain one of the film’s central draws. Ludwig Göransson returns to compose the score for Wakanda Forever , and once again, he knocks it out of the park, bringing in the African-inspired sound of the first film, then expanding its palette with touches of Mesoamerican instruments and chants.

While the film clocks in at just around 160 minutes, Wakanda Forever is paced in such a way that its action sequences move at a brisk clip, while its more serious moments never overstay a beat. Its economical, well-crafted storytelling is a feat unto itself, to say nothing of the film as a whole.

There are moments in Wakanda Forever where it feels as though the film itself might buckle under the weight of not only the expectations heaped onto it, but of the loss that animates its core premise. When it manages not only to meet the verve and creativity of 2018’s Black Panther , but ultimately to tell its own successful story, it feels no less astonishing than a man with wings on his ankles soaring through the air. As surely as love can blossom out of heartache, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has transformed tragedy into triumph.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters on Nov. 11 .

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There’s a Gaping Hole at the Center of <i>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</i>—and It’s No One’s Fault

There’s a Gaping Hole at the Center of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever —and It’s No One’s Fault

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , Ryan Coogler’s follow-up to the resplendent 2018 Marvel adventure Black Panther , offers spectacle to spare. The production design, once again by Hannah Beachler, balances elaborate manmade glamour with the glory of the natural world, as represented by the landscape of the African fantasy kingdom of Wakanda. When Angela Bassett’s imperious Queen Ramonda holds court, she does so from a throne shaped like the stylized horns of a stag beetle—it’s both elegant and menacing, more Philippe Starck than Tony Stark. And Ruth Carter’s costumes are possibly even more glorious than those she created for the first film: Ramonda, in particular, gets a bevy of fantastic looks, including a royal gown of deep red traced with intricate brown embroidery, not to mention an assortment of out-of-this-world flying-saucer crowns. Wakanda Forever is grand, all right. Yet there’s not much Coogler, or anyone, can do about the gaping hole at its center: With no Chadwick Boseman , it’s missing a measure of magic, a sad reality that’s no one’s fault.

The film, now streaming on Disney+, opens with an ending: Wakandan princess and genius scientist Shuri (Letitia Wright, appealing as always) scrambles to find a way to save her dying brother, T’Challa, the king of Wakanda as well as the mystical superhero Black Panther. She can’t pull it off: Ramonda appears, her grief vibrating beneath her stoic bearing, to tell her that her brother has died. The funeral is a half-somber, half-celebratory affair, a mix of melancholy remembrance and life-affirming rituals, complete with dancers in fringed skirts and feathery headdresses. T’Challa’s coffin, carried by its team of all-woman warrior pallbearers—including Danai Gurira’s Okoye, showing nothing but betraying every mote of sorrow even so—is eventually relinquished to the sky, where it’s subsumed into a triangular ceremonial object and whisked off, gone forever. In this opening scene, T’Challa is barely a whisper, though his absence hangs over the rest of the film as a kind of meta-presence.

Brushing aside her grief for duty, Queen Ramonda takes the throne as Wakanda’s ruler. Getting back to work, she attends a United Nation summit in which she dresses down a snippy French ambassador who’s trying to get her hands on Wakanda’s most precious resource, Vibranium, for her country’s own use. (This moment is a delight; Bassett throws shade like nobody’s business.) Everyone in the world wants Vibranium, and Wakanda is the only place that’s got it—or so the citizens of Wakanda believe.

Meanwhile, Shuri is so distraught over the loss of her brother that she can barely function anywhere outside her laboratory. Her mother tries to counsel her but can’t break through; their relationship has a believably prickly emotional texture. Soon, though, these two have problems beyond themselves, in the form of an underwater nation of blue people who threaten Wakanda’s equilibrium. This civilization, known as Talokan and springing from ancient Mayan roots, is a little like Atlantis crossed with Studio 54—it hardly seems like a threatening place. But its ruler, Namor (Tenoch Huerta), a god-man with pointed ears and wings sprouting from his ankles, isn’t particularly easy to read. He shows up in Wakanda, unannounced and aggressive, half-seeking, half-demanding that country’s aid in mounting a defense against the outside world, which has gotten a little too close to Talokan’s closely guarded secrets.

Read More: The Revolutionary Power Of Black Panther

The story that follows takes a million twists, seemingly operating on the logic that modern audiences want more twists for their dollar. (The script is by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole; the movie clocks in at roughly two hours and 40 minutes.) It hasn’t occurred to anyone at the MCU helm that the truly revolutionary thing would be to make a movie with fewer and better twists, one that focuses more on the relationships between characters than on tossing in one—or two, or three—extra battle scenes. What if these movies were scaled down a bit, trimmed into something lean and potent rather than just long? Wakanda Forever is set in a world that many people desperately want to revisit—in the first film, Wakanda and its citizens were so vivid it’s no wonder they took a hold on us. But Wakanda Forever feels a lot like Marvel business as usual, marred by the usual muddily rendered action sequences and ungainly plot mechanics.

It also has lots of extra pockets, sewn on to make room for all the characters audiences expect to see, as well as some new ones. Lupita Nyong’o returns as Nakia, essentially T’Challa’s widow, but doesn’t get a whole lot to do. Martin Freeman again plays CIA guy Ross; his story feels wedged in. Dominique Thorne plays teenage supergenius Riri Williams—she and Shuri forge a bond that’s intriguing but barely explored. The movie’s most compelling dynamic is the electricity between mother-and-daughter Ramonda and Shuri, but that, too, is frustratingly muted, despite Wright’s agile charm and Bassett’s beneath-the-surface warmth.

Read More: Chadwick Boseman, Who Died at 43, Brought Joy and Taught Us About Ourselves. All While Quietly Fighting for His Life

When the Black Panther returns, late in the story, the picture briefly springs to life. (Again, Carter has outdone herself with the costume, a matte-black suit streaked and dotted with metallic gold and silver, a kind of 1930s art deco vision filtered through a 1980s Tron sensibility.) Wakanda Forever is clearly designed to be “about” grief. But that doesn’t mean it deals with grief in a particularly deep or significant way. This must have been an incredibly difficult film to make, for the obvious reasons: how does a filmmaker and his cast carry on after the loss of such a dazzling colleague? But ticking boxes isn’t the same as pulling magic—or even just insight—from thin air. The picture’s most stirring moments come near the end, where we get brief flashback glimpses of Boseman as T’Challa. For those few seconds, he radiates everything that’s missing from Wakanda Forever. The sad reality is that the show must go on, and without him, it’s just more of the same. Our job is to pretend it’s enough.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever review: A sumptuous elegy for a king

The franchise loses its beloved star, but finds elegant, affecting new ways to expand the MCU.

Where can a superhero story that has lost its superhero go? Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (in theaters Friday) ultimately finds a new path forward, though director Ryan Coogler 's grand, somber requiem makes it clear in nearly every scene that the late Chadwick Boseman is irreplaceable, both on and off screen.

This is a movie very much in mourning for the man it lost — as a star, a colleague, and a friend — which seems like strange if not uncharted territory for a comic-book universe in which death is a Snap , and resurrection rarely less than another sequel or end-credits sequence away. The result still pounds with busy CG spectacle and, at just under three hours, more mythology than any non-Marvel head may strictly need. But it's also contemplative, character-driven, and frequently lovely: a faithful genre player imbued with a rare visual richness and real, painful poignancy.

King T'Challa's death from an unspecified illness takes place before the title card, leaving his sister Shuri ( Letitia Wright ), his mother Queen Ramonda ( Angela Bassett ) and a kingdom bereft. Global villainy, though, allows little time for bereavement, and even less for story exposition; within minutes, an American recon mission for vibranium — the precious, indestructible metal for which Wakanda is the only known source — goes fatally awry somewhere deep in the Atlantic Ocean, confounding the U.S. government. The hordes that destroyed their ship and mesmerized the crew don't seem like citizens of any country they've seen before: Their skin is tinged Avatar -blue, for one, and they appear to breathe easily underwater.

Their leader, Namor (the brooding Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta ), a formidable fighter with elfin ears and small, fluttering wings on his heels like a Greek god, turns out to have royal immortality in his blood, and intractable plans for Wakanda. As the ruler of an ancient deep-sea Mayan civilization called Talokan, he has his own people and resources to protect, and when he introduces himself to a still-grieving Ramonda and Shuri, he makes his terms clear: They can join him in defeating his land-bound foes, or be buried with them. There's also a teenage girl, an Einstein-brained MIT student named Riri ( Judas and the Black Messiah 's Dominique Thorne), whose precocious inventions, among them an Iron Man-like suit, make her both a target and an asset (and inevitably, a place-marker for yet another lucrative fragment of IP; Thorne will star as Riri/Ironheart in a Disney+ series slated for 2023).

Fending off these new threats means bringing Riri on board and marshaling the forces of the Wakanda diaspora, including Danai Gurira 's ferociously loyal general Okoye, Winston Duke 's towering warrior M'Baku, and Lupita Nyong'o 's retired spy Nakia, now living in self-imposed exile. Martin Freeman also returns as the Wakandans' best American ally, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus , with a vivid purple streak in her hair and an air of persistent Veep -y exasperation, drops in as the government honcho tasked with cleanup. ( I May Destroy You 's great Michaela Coel , alas, doesn't get to do much with her own warrior bit.)

Coogler, who cowrote the script once again with Panther scribe Joe Robert Cole, sets up several anchoring set pieces, clangorous air-land-and-sea battles that travel from Boston bridges and Wakandan city centers to the ocean floor. Levity comes in a few brief but well-placed moments of release, little garnishes of comic relief — just watch Duke eat a carrot — that mitigate the heavy mantle of grief and the obligatory MCU business of saving the world, one franchise installment at a time. (The rules of engagement seem more arcane, or merely very flexible; it's never completely clear what privileges various characters' powers confer unless you knew them coming in.)

The most striking thing about the movie, though, may be what a matriarchy it is, both by nature and nurture: Without their king, Wakanda has become a queendom from the top down, overseen by Bassett's regal, ageless Ramonda, the gorgeously daunting Gurira, and Wright, who rises to fill her dramatically expanded role with feline grace and vulnerability. Coogler also stacks his backline with talented women, including production designer Hannah Beachler and costumer Ruth E. Carter , who both won well-deserved Oscars for the first film.

Their shared vision of Afro-futurism feels lush and joyful and beautifully specific set against the usual white noise of Marvel fanfare, even (or almost especially) in darker moments, like the pristine rituals of a funeral scene. Wakanda is still clearly a Marvel property, with all the for-the-fans story beats and secondary characters its ever-expanding universe requires, but it also feels apart from any one that's come before. And while a Black Panther without Boseman is undoubtedly nothing like the film's creators or any of its cast wanted it to be, the movie they've made feels like something unusually elegant and profound at the multiplex; a little bit of forever carved out for the star who left too soon. Grade: B+

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review: A Powerfully Emotional Sequel Transforms the Franchise

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Ryan Coogler achieves remarkable feats with a powerfully emotional sequel that reshapes a blockbuster franchise. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stands as the most mature and thoughtful film in the MCU . Coogler had to address the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman's King T'Challa, its devastating impact on the ensemble characters, and forging a new path with significant challenges . Wakanda faces existential threats for its Vibranium resources. As hostile countries clamor for the valuable ore, an undersea source is discovered with a fierce protector. Who would burn the above ground to ashes and never capitulate.

Wakanda reels from the unexpected death of King T'Challa. Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) assumes leadership with a broken heart. She gives the world a stark notice. The Black Panther is gone, but Wakanda remains undaunted. She will retaliate against any efforts by foreigners to steal Vibranium. Ramonda tries to make peace and accept the loss of her son. Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) doesn't share her mother's ability to cope with grief. Anger fuels her genius mind. She's haunted by her inability to recreate the Heart-Shaped Herb. Her beloved brother died because she wasn't strong or smart enough to save him.

Meanwhile, in the Atlantic Ocean, a specialized CIA device finds Vibranium on the sea floor. It unleashes a ferocious response from a long-hidden race of Mayan descendants. K'uk'ulkan (Tenoch Huerta), the king of Talokan, has seen the horrors of colonizing invaders. "The feathered serpent god", cursed as Namor by the terrified Spanish, won't allow his people's secret home to be known. He confronts Ramonda and Shuri with a deadly request. Wakanda and Talokan have the same enemies. Find and kill the Vibranium detector's creator (Dominique Thorne). Wakanda will suffer the same wrath as the outsiders if they disobey him.

Wakanda in the Absence of T'Challa

Wakanda's thrust into a geopolitical storm by the absence of T'Challa. They have what everyone else wants. Namor brands T'Challa as a betrayer of Wakanda and Talokan. He ignored established doctrine by revealing Vibranium and its capabilities. Ironically, Ramonda shares Namor's views about hiding technology but the proverbial cat's out of the bag. She takes orders from no one. The problem is that Namor and his lethal Talokan army outmatches Wakanda in every sense.

Wright becomes a star in this film. Shuri is a complex protagonist in deep turmoil. Spiritual guidance from ancestors on an astral plain means nothing to her. She embraces science and difficult truths. Wakanda is in danger. Her father and brother are gone. Ramonda wants her daughter to be the country's salvation and future. But Shuri must come to terms with her bitterness. Loyal protectors, Okoye (Danai Gurira), M'Baku (Winston Duke), and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), sadly watch as Shuri's resolve hardens into rage and fury. Her climactic showdown with Namor kicks so much butt it breaks a foot.

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Wakanda Forever puts Avatar 2 on creative notice. The underwater scenes and Talokan production design are spectacular. Coogler brilliantly uses Mayan and Aztec tribal imagery to create incredible environments. The Talokans appear blue and wear water masks on land. They ride whales as attacking transport vessels. Their armor, tattoos, and piercings reflect a Mesoamerican identity. Huerta's Namor isn't chugging booze and cracking jokes like Aquaman. He's heart attack serious with zero compunction about killing for the cause. Flashback scenes tell Namor's origin story and how his people became ocean dwellers.

Strong Women Bolster Wakanda

Wakanda Forever extols African culture with female characters dominating the narrative. Ramonda needs the support of strong women to bolster Wakanda. But she doesn't accept failure or disobedience. A brutal condemnation is stunning. Her "mother" figure provides strength and moral compass. Shuri struggles mightily to fulfill Ramonda's expectations. This is the crux of the film. Audiences are going to be shocked where Shuri's arc leads.

There will be tears but no gushing rivers. Wakanda Forever tackles loss with deliberative structure. Boseman's presence is felt from the opening frames. Coogler pays tribute without succumbing to melancholy. He honors a departed friend by preserving and continuing Boseman's majestic legacy. The Black Panther's mantle is carried with courage and honor. Stick around during the credits for a major reveal.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a production of Marvel Studios. It will be released theatrically on November 11th from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures .

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Movie review: 'wakanda forever'.

Bob Mondello

Marvel's "Black Panther" sequel, "Wakanda Forever," brings together almost all the original cast members for a story that is both an elegy for Chadwick Boseman and a way forward for the story.

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Black panther: wakanda forever review - a fitting, ambitious tribute to an icon.

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Few blockbusters have been as closely scrutinized as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . As the sequel to a groundbreaking, award-winning movie, the stakes were already incredibly high. Then, the unexpected and tragic passing of lead star Chadwick Boseman in 2020 shifted the plans for future Black Panther movies completely. Regardless of what might have been, Wakanda Forever is an incredibly ambitious movie, the kind of blockbuster that demands to be seen on the big screen — not because of its grand action scenes (though this one has plenty), but because of its broad scope. Though messy at times, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an impactful examination of grief aided by excellent character work and exhilarating action.

Save for its emotional opening, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever picks up one year after the death of T'Challa, Boseman's towering Marvel hero. In the time since his passing, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) has taken charge of Wakanda while Shuri (Letitia Wright) has thrown herself into her work in the hopes of arming her beloved homeland more than ever before. As Wakanda works to regain its foothold in a world eager to prey upon its vibranium resources, the country is faced with a unique threat: Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the leader of the underwater world known as Talokan. The surface world's growing interference on his home has led Namor to adopt a defensive stance against humans, and he wants Wakanda's help. However, his terms aren't as simple as signing a peace treaty. Shuri and Ramonda, along with several returning faces (and some new ones as well), are forced to find the best path forward while still mourning the loss of their Black Panther.

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Angela Bassett in Black Panther Wakanda Forever

There's no question that returning director Ryan Coogler (who also co-wrote the film with Joe Robert Cole) was faced with a difficult task when taking on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . Some might disagree with the decision to center the film around T'Challa's death rather than recasting the character, but from the opening moments, it's clear the movie holds nothing but love for Boseman and all he stood for. It's hard not to think that when Ramonda or Shuri shed tears for T'Challa, Bassett and Wright were also crying for Boseman. Coogler and Cole smartly weave in quieter beats for the characters amidst the typical Marvel action. There are much-needed conversations that take place here, and they provide some welcome shades and depth for several characters. A strength of Black Panther was its supporting cast of characters. Wakanda Forever only builds upon that, whether it is by giving Jabari leader M'Baku (Winston Duke) a deeper characterization or letting Dora Milaje general Okoye (Danai Gurira) possess some stunning vulnerability. The cast as a whole is reliably excellent. Bassett gives a soaring performance as a devastated, yet impressively strong-willed queen, while Wright truly steps into her own here. Lupita Nyong'o also excels with a more developed Nakia.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduces two major Marvel Comics characters to the franchise, Huerta's aforementioned Namor and Iron Man successor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). Both performers sink into their roles right away and cement themselves as welcome additions to the MCU. Huerta especially proves to be one of the franchise's most compelling antagonists, lending Namor a layer of charisma and sympathy that, for a time at least, is hard to root against. Namor and Riri are among Wakanda Forever 's strengths, but their presence also serves as a reminder of just how much this movie has going on all at once. There's Wakanda's fight against Talokan, Riri's origin story, and the heroes' mounting grief, as well as a surprisingly entertaining (yet a tad extraneous) subplot involving Everett Ross (Martin Freeman). On top of all that, this is a Marvel sequel that goes to some dark places and takes some big swings. At times, Coogler and Cole's script seems to strain from the effort it takes to pull all these threads together, and while the final product isn't perhaps as clean as the first Black Panther , it is still a thrilling, emotional ride.

Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright in Black Panther Wakanda Forever

This is largely because Coogler moves between epic spectacle and quieter, contemplative moments with ease. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever falls just 20 minutes short of three hours, and that runtime comes down to how Coogler lets certain moments breathe rather than trying to rush through them. Of the action set pieces, Talokan's invasion of Wakanda (featured prominently in the trailers) is perhaps the standout, raising the stakes while eliciting genuine frissons of shock. Much has been said lately about Marvel's CGI and its questionable behind-the-scenes approach to such work, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever does suffer from this. Still, Coogler knows how to stage effective, gripping action sequences here, and they're at their best when they focus on the human side of it rather than the explosiveness of it all. Action aside, the craft work that earned the first movie some Oscars remains an MCU highlight in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . Ruth E. Carter's costumes are colorful and impressively designed, while production designer Hannah Beachler gets to design an underwater kingdom that, while perhaps not as vibrant as one might expect, sparks the imagination as Namor swims through Talokan and takes it all in.

Marvel's Phase Four has been somewhat controversial online, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will no doubt lead to debates. It's an MCU movie bursting with ideas, brilliant callbacks to the previous film, and piercing expressions of grief. After spending several movies diving into the multiverse or traversing the far reaches of space, the MCU has now offered one of its most poignant stories yet, and it largely pays off. Audiences will likely cheer and cry in equal measure. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a fitting tribute to an icon, and it paves an exciting way forward for the Marvel franchise while cementing itself as a cultural force to be reckoned with.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debuts in theaters Friday, November 11. The film is 161 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action, and some language.

Black Panther

Key release dates, black panther: wakanda forever, the guardians of the galaxy holiday special, ant-man & the wasp: quantumania, guardians of the galaxy vol. 3, blade (2025), avengers: the kang dynasty, avengers: secret wars.

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‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Review: Ryan Coogler Builds a Furious Slow-Burn Sequel Around Chadwick Boseman’s Loss

As the women of Wakanda, led by Letitia Wright's Shuri, struggle to fill the void T'Challa has left, Coogler stages less a typical Marvel movie than an intricately doom-laden geopolitical thriller.

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Reviewed at Dolby 88, Oct. 27, 2022. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 161 MIN.

Production: A Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release of a Marvel Studios production. Producers: Kevin Feige, Nate Moore. Executive producers: Victoria Alonso, Louis D’Esposito, Barry H. Waldman.
Crew: Director: Ryan Coogler. Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole. Camera: Autumn Durald Arkapaw. Editors: Kelley Dixon, Jennifer Lame, Michael P. Shawver. Music: Ludwig Göransson.
With: Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Dominique Thorne, Martin Freeman.

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‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Review: Ryan Coogler Explores Loss and Legacy in One of the MCU’s Best Phase 4 Films

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Even though he was only in four Marvel films, Chadwick Boseman ’s King T’Challa felt integral to the MCU following his introduction in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War . When Erik Killmonger ( Michael B. Jordan ) threw him off a waterfall during a ritualistic fight in Black Panther and when Thanos snapped him out of existence in Avengers: Infinity War , we knew that even those films were positing the idea that the king of Wakanda might be gone, it was impossible to imagine that this universe would continue without its Black Panther.

T’Challa wasn’t just a superhero—the MCU already had enough of those—he was an icon and a symbol of greatness unlike any other we had seen before. The same was true of Chadwick Boseman, who in such a short period of time left behind an incredible body of work that will be remembered for decades to come. Boseman was an impressive talent and like Black Panther, it felt impossible to imagine he would be gone so soon.

At the beginning of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , we find the title country in grief, shocked by the passing of their king, and in these moments, it’s hard not to think back to when Boseman died, a shock that seemed like it couldn’t be true. But in those opening moments of Wakanda Forever , as T’Challa’s family and community say goodbye to their king, his funeral service quickly becomes a celebration, as the streets are lined with dancing and music, a reminder that even though the king has left suddenly, his memory will live on, a legacy worth commemorating. With Wakanda Forever , director and co-writer Ryan Coogler has similarly created a fitting remembrance of both Boseman and T’Challa, an impressive combination of mourning, and a reckoning with legacy and loss, all within a superhero film that is one of the best Phase 4 MCU films.

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With T’Challa gone, Wakanda Forever primarily focuses on those he left behind, specifically his sister Shuri ( Letitia Wright ) and his mother Ramonda ( Angela Bassett ). A year after T’Challa’s passing, Ramonda has taken the mantle as Wakanda’s leader, since the country has decided against crowning a new Black Panther, while Shuri has dedicated herself to crafting new technologies to protect the people of her country. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is concerned about Wakanda’s monopoly on Vibranium, and the power that this gives the still secretive country.

But what Wakanda doesn’t know is that they aren’t the only ones with Vibranium. As the world searches for and finds more sources of Vibranium, this threatens the underwater civilization of Talokan, which also uses massive amounts of Vibranium and is led by their king Namor ( Tenoch Huerta ). Namor comes to Shuri and Ramonda, demanding they deliver him the scientist who has created Vibranium-seeking technology in the outside world, in order to protect his people, or else, he will bring war upon the land of Wakanda.

Like Shuri, Wakanda Forever can often feel like a film torn between two opposites. On one hand, she continues to mourn the loss of her brother, yet on the other hand, with the threat of Namor looming over the country, she also wants to defend her community, ensuring that she doesn’t lose anyone else close to her. Wakanda Forever similarly has to balance being both a testament to Boseman and T’Challa, but within the format of a more standard superhero film. For the most part, Coogler does a solid job at maintaining this, even if the film can feel a bit clunky and stretched at times.

Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor in Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Yet the heart of Wakanda Forever and Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole screenplay is based in those feelings of loss and fear of how quickly we can lose the ones we love. Coogler and Cole base every choice on that feeling here, as Namor is also fearful that the world’s interest in Vibranium could cause him to lose the kingdom that he’s watched over for centuries, while Shuri and Ramonda want to ensure their country remains strong even while full of sorrow over their still-fresh loss. But Wakanda Forever is also at its best when it allows Coogler to fully embrace the heartache that himself and the rest of this cast clearly feel about moving forward without Boseman. His absence understandably looms over this entire film, and Coogler and Cole’s script does a beautiful job of honoring Boseman, remembering his importance, and yet still trying to move forward from that pain. Wakanda Forever contains some of the most emotional moments in the MCU thus far, and that’s largely because Coogler allows the film to slow down, contemplate this absence and live in the loss for large stretches of time. This kind of quiet and consideration feels so drastic and unique for the MCU at large.

Coogler and Cole use this pain to take this cast to fascinating places. Bassett gives one of the best performances in the Marvel universe so far, as her Queen Ramonda now rules Wakanda with the worry that she could lose even more, and with the threats from Namor, we’re watching a grieving mother have to deal with the terror that she could once again lose a child so soon, and how that alters the choices she makes. Wakanda Forever also continues the Black Panther tradition of having some of the best supporting characters in the MCU. After the events of Avengers: Endgame , Black Panther , and the passing of T’Challa, characters like Okoye ( Danai Gurira ), Nakia ( Lupita Nyong’o ), and M’Baku ( Winston Duke ) are led to new responsibilities, new directions, and a reconfiguration of their personal identities and priorities.

But by and large, Wakanda Forever is Wright’s film, as the weight of her responsibilities grows, while she still attempts to ignore her heartbreak. Wright takes the reins of this series superbly, yet there’s hesitance and anger in her that gives her a compelling new side that we haven’t seen before for this character. Shuri has to personify the pain, frustration, rage, and fear that this film inherently has about having to say goodbye, and Wright does so beautifully. Shuri might be a reluctant hero for her country, yet by the end of Wakanda Forever , she might be one of the most interesting characters in the MCU.

Also excellent is Huerta as Namor, who is similarly just trying to do what is best for his country. Like Killmonger in the first Black Panther , Coogler makes us sympathize with his viewpoint, even if the extremism within that argument makes his choices innately questionable. Huerta is a commanding presence, a leader who brings joy to his people, and is threatened by anyone who gets in the way of that joy. Again, some of Namor’s best moments come when Wakanda Forever slows down and focuses on Namor’s worries and intentions, as we get several strong scenes where Namor and Shuri attempt to find common ground between their two homes. So much of Coogler’s filmography centers around how where one comes from influences who they become, and we can see how equally important home is to these two characters as they attempt to find peace before threatening to destroy each other.

But among all the sorrow and grief that permeates Wakanda Forever at its very core, Coogler somehow manages to still make this a fun and exciting sequel. Even though Wakanda Forever is at its best in the quiet moments, Coogler makes the action engrossing and unique in the larger MCU. One particularly thrilling chase follows Okoye, Shuri, and newcomer Riri Williams ( Dominique Thorne ) through multiple forms of transportation, concluding with a blunt and particularly rough fight between Okoye and one of Namor’s soldiers. In this one-on-one fight, it’s easy to be reminded of Coogler’s work in Creed , as he pits two warriors against each other who will do anything to win. Wakanda Forever still has some of the same third-act problems, as the film has to end with a giant climactic battle, yet the supporting cast keeps this lively, and Namor makes for a better, more nuanced villain than most standard Marvel enemies.

Like the first Black Panther , Coogler has taken great care to flesh out both this world and Namor’s world of Talokan. With both, we get a greater sense of community and this land, the impact that these leaders have on the people, and the sheer scope of how big these areas are. Ruth Carter , who won an Oscar for the first Black Panther , makes even more vibrant outfits that bring this world to life, while Ludwig Göransson creates what might be his greatest score yet. Göransson’s score for the first film also earned him an Oscar, and while that score mixed momentous, thumping builds with traditional African sounds and instruments, Göransson goes even further here, also throwing in electronic sounds that almost sound like they’re breaking apart, a perfect score to play alongside Shuri’s rising as Wakanda’s newest hero.

Like most of the cast, Wakanda Forever feels like a film that is uncertain of how to move forward without T’Challa and Boseman, but Coogler handles this doubt with grace and love, a beautiful testament to what has been lost, and a reminder that death isn’t the end of a person’s legacy. Wakanda Forever is at its most fascinating when it allows this world to sit in its own grief and explore what that means going forward, and for the MCU, it’s surprising how often Wakanda Forever is able to approach loss in this way. Wakanda Forever isn’t perfect, but its ability to handle this tightrope walk between exploration of loss and a larger superhero film makes this one of the most moving MCU entries so far, and one of the best films to come out of Marvel’s Phase Four.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever comes to theaters on November 11.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther (2018)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review

11 Nov 2022

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

For all of its blockbuster bombast and globe-trotting conflict, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is, in a sense, framed around just one person: Chadwick Boseman . The loss of the Black Panther star, who tragically died in 2020, isn’t just taken as a logistical problem for the franchise to fix. There’s real pain behind this film. In addressing Boseman's passing, returning director/co-writer Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole movingly and tastefully blur the lines between the real and the fictional.

That loss — of Boseman in real life, and T’Challa within the film — becomes ambient, ever-present. The stages of grief form the trajectory of the film: T'Challa's sister Shuri ( Letitia Wright ), angry and vengeful, takes refuge in technology, while their mother Ramonda ( Angela Bassett ), devastated but clear-minded, finds it in spirituality — as though the dual elements of its Afrofuturist setting have been split in two. All of them struggle to continue with their lives. Death, as the characters reminds us, is not the end.

Namor is a highlight, an imaginative adaptation of the veteran comics character, one who here speaks truth with convincing venom.

The tragic circumstances lead to an increased focus on this formerly supporting cast, but the shift feels natural., and there are strong, absorbing performances across the board. In particular, Letitia Wright — stepping up into a leading role — finds compelling volatility for Shuri to take the spotlight. Elsewhere, Winston Duke ’s bluster is still a joy to watch; Angela Bassett is commanding and heartbreaking; newcomers like Michaela Coel (as Dora Milaje warrior Aneka) fit in as though they were always there.

Namor, meanwhile (played by Tenoch Huerta , a magnetic presence), makes for a unique antagonist. He's a highlight, an imaginative adaptation of the veteran comics character, one who here speaks truth with convincing venom. Coogler ties him to Mesoamerican history and Spanish colonialism, and there’s a sense — like Wakanda — of a tangible, real-world history. In both Wakanda and Talokan, there is beautiful costuming and production design from Hannah Beachler and Ruth Carter, respectively; and lush photography from cinematographer Autumn Durald, who maintains precision and clarity in the action.

Namor's heritage brings with it some exciting quirks, too: from the wings on his ankles; to more tactile-seeming water effects in place of the usual fireballs; to the use of a hypnotic siren song; to the orcas and whales deployed as battle-mounts. For the most part, Wakanda Forever is imaginative and feels grounded, which makes the tilt to the usual CG-dominated spectacle a little jarring.

In the same sense, the film can feel overly busy. Coogler’s script sometimes strains at having to stuff it all in, from the fallout of T’Challa’s death, to the geopolitical turmoil between Wakanda and Talokan, to the usual extended-universe baggage. It all sprawls into a messy last act that can feel at odds with the rest of the film.

But Wakanda Forever ultimately lands on a poignant note. In bookends, it deals head-on with the passing of both T’Challa and Boseman, moments that pull the film into a moving, surprisingly personal whole. Even in his absence, Boseman holds Black Panther together.

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‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Is a Grief-Stricken Tribute, an Angry Blockbuster — and a Mostly Super MCU Sequel

By K. Austin Collins

K. Austin Collins

But Black Panther has, from the start, gone out of its way to remind us that it isn’t quite like the other superhero franchises. The mighty struggles of its heroes and villains compel because they’re rooted in something far larger than a straightforward hero’s journey. T’Challa wasn’t merely a quirky outsider with a heroic destiny to grab hold of if only he believed in himself (or a destiny he could simply earn by not earning it at all, underwriting his future with a massive inheritance). Nor was he compelled to vengeance by loss. Vengeance wasn’t his game. He was a protector. A Black nation’s fate sat on his shoulders from the beginning — and a legion of ancestors, of whom he was all too aware, was guiding him, scrutinizing him, from the start.

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In this world, the pure radicals, the most forward-looking revolutionaries, are characterized by a fearless attitude toward violence. They believe it to be necessary. They want to tear down the world and remake it — a difficult prospect for Wakanda, which does not want to use its might as a world power in quite that way. There come moments in Wakanda Forever when it feels fair to wonder who we’re really rooting for. Never is this more apparent than in scenes involving the CIA (embodied by a returning Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, as well as by a surprising, funny cameo that I won’t spoil). Here, Wakanda Forever stumbles; the relationship between Wakanda and its “favorite colonizer” veers a little too close to cute, a little too buddy-buddy, without anywhere near the same level of thoughtfulness that the movie brings to bear on the rest of its story. That’s another hallmark of this franchise, so far. There are the villains, and then there are the villains . There’s no question who we’re supposed to cheer on. But there’s still room to wonder whether we actually should.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Doesn’t Have the Answers

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever carries a series of burdens no one film could ever bear. Its director, Ryan Coogler, must grapple with the challenges and expectations born and influenced by the tragic death of star Chadwick Boseman. Coogler must craft an entertaining sequel to a billion-dollar blockbuster while working within the constricting Marvel Cinematic Universe. He must carefully balance the expectations of Black folks who have elevated the film to a celestial status — a pinnacle of Afrofuturism-tinged desires for a specific kind of Black power and representation onscreen. The film is called to respectfully introduce a new Black Panther and push the MCU forward with the introduction of Namor (Tenoch Huerta), an Indigenous Mesoamerican king-god figure of the undersea, isolationist kingdom Talokan — which has its own cache of vibranium and superhuman strength that makes Wakanda buckle. Perhaps most crucially, the film’s cast must act out grief while being mired in the experience themselves, which is especially true for Letitia Wright’s Shuri, who is tasked with shouldering the film’s most dramatic moments.

To say the film is overtaxed is an understatement. Regrettably, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever tries to do so many things that it comes across as threadbare and pallid — less a failure of imagination and more of circumstance, time, and narrative constraints.

I have complicated feelings around the original Black Panther, which was released to great acclaim in 2018. I’ve never gravitated to the mythos, primarily because T’Challa is a character of such noble stature that he can come across as uncomplicated, too perfect, and lacking the human foibles that make a character root themself in your memory. (In a surprising moment of self-awareness for the franchise, a cameo in Wakanda Forever says as much.) But Boseman rounded out T’Challa with a sweetness he aimed toward the character’s loved ones, which makes the actor’s absence in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever even more profound. Without him, the sequel struggles to hit the graceful emotional frequencies of its predecessor. The Marvel framework tends to falter when it comes to portraying genuine, complicated feelings, and what is more complicated than grief? It lacks a linear quality. It isn’t something you can overcome with a magic spell or godlike abilities. It breaks against the form and function of a Marvel property.

Wakanda Forever begins with the funeral of T’Challa — a sight tinged with joy and sorrow. Here, the film is at its most vivid and visually intriguing. T’Challa’s coffin is carried through the capital of Wakanda by the tearful Dora Milaje led by Okoye (Danai Gurira). The cortège and people of Wakanda are dressed in all white — a striking touch from costuming legend Ruth E. Carter. While the faces of T’Challa’s closest loved ones are solemn, the people of Wakanda move their bodies in an ecstatic dance slowed down to the speed of molasses. But the scene is all too brief. The editing, which gives the film a rushed quality here and a lethargic one elsewhere, works against what the sequence accomplishes. We’re soon jettisoned into the thrust of the story (although thrust is perhaps too forceful a word to describe such an anemic film).

In the wake of T’Challa’s death from an unnamed illness, his mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), must help her empire navigate assaults from within and without. The true might of Wakanda is now widely known, and the film tries to spell out the geopolitical consequences of this new reality. In doing so, it turns to its lone white folks — Everett K. Ross (an annoyingly nondescript Martin Freeman functioning as living exposition) and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (a hard-edge but not altogether engaging Julia Louis-Dreyfus) — and screeches into the land of boredom and obligation. They soon learn that an even greater threat than Wakanda is Talokan — led by Namor, who is eager to fight against the surface world in order to protect his kingdom. (How many isolationist societies of magical, powerful people of color can one cinematic universe have?) Namor isn’t so much a villain as a misshapen antagonist forced into violence by a script that requires it to push the plot along, yet he cares deeply for the barely sketched supporting figures of his kingdom.

The beating heart of the film is meant to be Shuri, who is pulled in as many directions as the story itself: between grief-fueled vengeance and growth, between chaos and peace. The sharp-mouthed, highly intelligent younger-sister archetype that Shuri filled never quite worked for me, but graduating her to a character saddled with so much devastation doesn’t either. Wright can’t find the intensity required, and she lacks the physicality to stand out in frames filled with more forceful actors. Lupita Nyong’o fares much better. I’ve missed the sight of her onscreen. Her brightness as Nakia infuses a few beautiful moments in the film. Other characters feel mostly surface-level in comparison: never fully rounded out with their own moments of bereavement or a fully rooted personality. Consider the spunky college student Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), who is weighted down by the clunkiest jokes of the film. Gurira and Bassett, however, when given the space to do so, capably provide the complex characterization that is otherwise sparse — as a stunning moment in the kingdom’s throne room, shot through with anger and deep longing, demonstrates.

There’s a lot of wasted talent onscreen. Michaela Coel’s character, Aneka, is missing the tricksy magnetism the writer-actor displays everywhere else. The look of Namor is beguiling — as are the ideas behind his Talokan lineage (he was born in the 16th century and witnessed, as a young child-king, the morally repugnant, heartbreaking violence of Spanish conquistadors). But despite the film’s nearly three hours, there is seemingly not enough time to flesh out his people and culture. It constructs a rushed origin story never focused enough on building out Talokan. Who are its people beyond their isolationism? What do they worship and delight in? What powers their beliefs in a world where a godlike being like Namor exists? Within this part of the film’s tapestry, no character possesses a hint of interiority. Rather than a sincere exploration of this Indigenous world, Namor’s character plays like a cunning decision to broaden Disney and Marvel’s target audience under the banner of representation (despite Huerta’s clear commitment and pleasure in the role). When Huerta is called to deliver lines with the word mutant , they land with a thud.

The action scenes provide little of the decadent thrills that can power even the emptiest of superhero narratives. In the first Black Panther, the action aims for a muscular kineticism that mostly succeeds when characters like Killmonger are unmasked or the camera is trained on Okoye and the Dora Milaje. The fight choreography of the original has clean, strong lines of action and emotional beats that bring with them a scintillating force that Wakanda Forever fails to achieve. Here, the muscular kineticism has been replaced with an ostentatious grandiosity. The final fight scene, in particular, is impressive in terms of the scope and amount of actors involved onscreen, but it lacks the precision and focus that would lead to standout moments. Scenes involving members of the Dora Milaje are blocked in ways that render their physical presence much less graceful, stifling any glimmer of characterization the movement of the first film provided. The choreography of the Talokan fighters isn’t distinct enough either — save for in fits and spurts like during a fight with Okoye on a city bridge. Namor is powerful, to be sure, but his introductions in scenes lack the regality that could make an undersea king feel fantastically unreal. The new Black Panther is meant to flex their muscles in the back half, but by then, an overstuffed quality has set in. The dexterous bliss that comes with the sudden explosion of superheroic energy is crowded out. Ultimately, Coogler and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw lose sight of the rich color and minute detail that make this comic world alluring and, instead, allow their picture to feel as busy as the gold-and-black costume of the new Black Panther.

Wakanda Forever is too drab to work as a capable sequel, too unfocused to feel wholly consequential among the spoiling bombast of the larger MCU, too surface-level in its characterization and thematic entanglements to function as a worthy memorial to a star gone far too soon. It is neither developed enough narratively nor complex enough politically. It is a film not about Blackness or Indigenous identity, though it hides behind the sheen of both. Coogler is a strong director still relatively early in his career, but his voice isn’t evolving as much as it’s rattling inside the morass of the ever-growing MCU. Who does Coogler want to be as an artist? What does he have to say about humanity? Black Panther: Wakanda Forever doesn’t have the answers.

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Black panther: wakanda forever.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 25 Reviews
Kids Say 70 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Epic, women-led sequel is part tribute, part intense battle.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

Begins with off-camera death of King T'Challa. Another death is particularly emo

Infrequent use of "s--t," "bulls--t," "treacherous," "son of Satan" and "demon"

Apple iPhone, MacBook, Lexus, Louis Vuitton. Part of the MCU franchise.

References to T'Challa's romantic relationship with Nakia.

Any Positive Content?

Ensemble cast is largely Black, as is writer-director Ryan Coogler. Women run Wa

Promotes collaboration, diplomacy, and partnership, particularly among historica

Queen Ramonda, Okoye, Nakia, and Shuri are strong, smart, capable, brave. Shuri

Violence & Scariness

Begins with off-camera death of King T'Challa. Another death is particularly emotional later in the movie. Lots of intense action violence, chases, and hand-to-hand and weapons-based fights, including spears, water bombs, guns. People are drowned, shot, speared. An underwater group of people can chant a siren song that lures people to throw themselves into the sea. They have the power to destroy submarines and sink helicopters and ships.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent use of "s--t," "bulls--t," "treacherous," "son of Satan" and "demon" (subtitled).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Sex, romance & nudity.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Diverse Representations

Ensemble cast is largely Black, as is writer-director Ryan Coogler. Women run Wakanda, have agency, are shown to be strong, smart, capable, brave. Another group of people are underwater descendants of Mesoamerican Mayans, who maintain their Yucatec language and aspects of Mayan culture, such as their dress and the ball game pok-a-tok. Although they're depicted as antagonists, the Talokanil are normally peace-keeping people who want to be left alone. Soundtrack includes tracks by Mexican and Indigenous Mexican artists.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Positive Messages

Promotes collaboration, diplomacy, and partnership, particularly among historically oppressed people. Explores how grief and loss can be overwhelming and require reflection and rest to process. Like first film, encourages teamwork, communication, loyalty, integrity, courage, friendship. Highlights the abilities of women and people of color in positions of power (and leading roles). Explores idea of resource hoarding, what happens when an oppressed community becomes the oppressors. Duty, ritual, justice, and tradition are very important to the Wakandans. Idea that revenge is temporarily satisfying but ultimately destructive is a major theme.

Positive Role Models

Queen Ramonda, Okoye, Nakia, and Shuri are strong, smart, capable, brave. Shuri reluctantly takes on mantle of leadership. Her inventive tech genius helps Wakanda protect itself. Even the main villain is complicated and thought-provoking, making good points about collaboration and alliances.

Parents need to know that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the sequel to Marvel's massively popular Black Panther . After the death of the beloved King T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman ), the kingdom of Wakanda must regroup to protect itself against those who hope to destabilize the country and steal its vibranium. There's also a new threat in the form of a superhuman, underwater-dwelling people descended from Mesoamericans. Expect action-packed fight scenes, law enforcement pursuits, hand-to-hand combat, weapons use, and potentially disturbing scenes of people throwing themselves into the ocean while hypnotized. People die from fatal injuries during battles and from drowning. One death is especially upsetting, as it leaves a character without any family. Language includes just a few uses of "s--t" and "bulls--t," and there's no romance. Viewers looking for applications to the real world can discuss the importance of diplomacy and collaboration, as well as the idea of intergroup understanding among people of color. The movie is dedicated to Boseman, and it fittingly deals with grief and loss even more than the first film. Stars Letitia Wright , Angela Bassett , Lupita Nyong'o , and Danai Gurira all reprise their roles from the first film. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (25)
Kids say (70)

Based on 25 parent reviews

MCU manages to pull together to make one of the best MCU movies out there!

Great movie, but no movie is safe., what's the story.

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER begins with the off-camera death of King T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman ) after an undisclosed illness that even his genius little sister, Shuri ( Letitia Wright ), can't troubleshoot and fix. And since Erik Killmonger ( Michael B. Jordan ) had all of the sacred heart-shaped herb destroyed in Black Panther , a new Black Panther cannot be named after T'Challa's passing. A year later, Queen Ramonda ( Angela Bassett ) makes a statement to the international community asserting that T'Challa's absence doesn't mean that Wakanda can be weakened or destabilized by rogue mercenaries or jealous superpowers who want to steal vibranium. So when an American military operation to mine for vibranium underwater ends with everyone involved being killed, the CIA assumes that Wakandans are the assassins. But the culprit is actually the Talokanil, a group of mysterious, blue-skinned underwater mutants descended from Mesoamericans. Their leader, Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejia), can fly, has pointed/elven ears, and can -- unlike his people -- breathe outside of the water. He tries to convince the queen to join forces with him, oppose the sharing of vibranium, and secretly turn over the American scientist responsible for a machine that can detect vibranium underwater. But it turns out that when Shuri and General Okoye ( Danai Gurira ) track down the scientist, she's just a 19-year-old MIT undergraduate named Riri (Dominique Thorne) who reminds Shuri of herself. Unwilling to give Riri to Namor, the Wakandans must prepare to fight the Talokanil -- with or without a new Black Panther.

Is It Any Good?

Writer-director Ryan Coogler 's sequel, led by an excellent ensemble of women, pays tribute to the hard loss of Boseman/T'Challa by exploring how grief (and revenge) can be all-consuming. It feels like Shuri is speaking for the fans when she cries out and wonders how life can go on without her brother. But, step by step, the influential women of Wakanda (with backup from Winston Duke's M'Baku and Martin Freeman 's Agent Ross) manage to safeguard their homeland and prepare for yet another battle -- not for leadership of the kingdom, but for its very existence. Bassett and Wright do a beautiful job with their emotional scenes as mother and daughter, queen and princess. There's an authentic tenderness to their interactions that's mirrored in all of the women's relationships, even Nakia ( Lupita Nyong'o ), who's now the headmistress of a school in Haiti but agrees to help Wakanda defeat Namor. Although W'Kabi's ( Daniel Kaluuya ) absence is felt nearly as keenly as T'Challa's, at least his possible return to the franchise is left open. Meanwhile, award-winning TV star and comedian Michaela Coel joins the cast as another fierce and funny member of the Dora Milaje.

Coogler's interpretation of the canonical characters may not appeal to hardline comic book purists, but viewers who are more familiar with Marvel through the movies will appreciate the director's inclusion of complicated, morally gray antagonists who, while villainous, often make thought-provoking points. When Namor suggests an alliance between Black and Brown nations against the threat of greedy, colonizing forces, it frankly makes sense. Make friends, not foes, he says to Ramonda, even as he blackmails her with an ultimatum. Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter and composer Ludwig Göransson do a phenomenal job of adding Mayan-inspired costumes and music to the proceedings (the soundtrack includes tracks in Spanish and Mayan, as well as "Lift Me Up," a lovely Rihanna ballad). Mexican actor Huerta gives a nuanced performance as the intense Namor, but ultimately this movie belongs to the women of Wakanda, who pull off the nearly unimaginable feat of proving that the story can go on.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how the filmmakers handled the continuation of the Black Panther series without Boseman as T'Challa. Do you agree with the decision not to recast the role in Wakanda Forever ?

Why is representation important in movies, shows, and books? What progress have superhero movies made when it comes to diverse characters? What do you think of the racial and gender representation in this movie compared to that of other superhero films?

How does the movie explore issues related to race? What do you think of the story pitting Black Africans and Indigenous Mexicans against one another? What's the message about what happens when Black and Brown people fight instead of collaborate?

Discuss the role of women in the movie. How are Ramonda, Shuri, Okoye, Nakia, and the other Dora Milaje unique in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Why is it still uncommon for women to hold positions of power in movies (not just superhero movies)?

Talk about the theme of grief and loss in the story. Was it necessary? Do you think there should be another Black Panther movie?

Movie Details

In theaters : November 11, 2022
On DVD or streaming : February 1, 2023
Cast : Angela Bassett , Letitia Wright , Tenoch Huerta , Danai Gurira
Director : Ryan Coogler
Inclusion Information : Black directors, Female actors, Black actors, Black writers
Studio : Disney/Marvel
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Superheroes
Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
Run time : 161 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : sequences of strong violence, action and some language
Awards : Common Sense Selection , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner , NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
Last updated : August 22, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Cast & crew
User reviews

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Angela Bassett, Florence Kasumba, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Tenoch Huerta, Alex Livinalli, Michaela Coel, Letitia Wright, Mabel Cadena, and Winston Duke in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T'Challa. The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T'Challa. The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T'Challa.

Ryan Coogler
Joe Robert Cole
Letitia Wright
Lupita Nyong'o
Danai Gurira
1.5K User reviews
363 Critic reviews
67 Metascore
50 wins & 174 nominations total

Top cast 99+

M'Baku

(as Tenoch Huerta Mejía)

Everett Ross

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

River Tribe Elder

Border Tribe Elder
(as Daniel Sapani)
Merchant Tribe Elder

Mining Tribe Elder
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

Trivia Tenoch Huerta , who plays the ruler of an underwater kingdom, didn't know how to swim. When Ryan Coogler offered him the role and asked about his swimming skills, Huerta simply replied, "I've never drowned before." He took swimming lessons afterwards in preparation for the role.
Goofs (at around 12 mins) Near the beginning of the movie when people are diving down in submersible diving suits, there is a reading called out of "Negative One PSI". Negative pressures do not exist, and pressures less than that at sea level (between zero and one PSI) would only happen if they were going up into higher atmospheres.

Ramonda : I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world! And my entire family is gone! Have I not given everything?

Crazy credits The Marvel Studios logo animation features quotes/images/clips of T'Challa ( Chadwick Boseman ) and is shaded purple, the royal color of Wakanda. The animation also has the music muted.
Connections Edited into Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever: Nigeria: Past is Present (2023)
Soundtracks Funeral Written by Baaba Maal , Massamba Diop , and Ludwig Göransson Produced by Ludwig Göransson Performed by Baaba Maal

User reviews 1.5K

HabibieHakim123
Nov 8, 2022

'Wakanda Forever' Stars Through the Years

How long is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? Powered by Alexa
Co-producer Nate Moore has teased the existence of a potential director's cut of the movie. If it does exist, when can it be expected to be released?
With a little over $800 million gross, is this movie considered a box office disappointment compared to the almost $1.4 billion gross of the original?
November 11, 2022 (United States)
United States
Official site
Black Panther 2
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Marvel Studios
Walt Disney Pictures
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$250,000,000 (estimated)
$453,829,060
$181,339,761
Nov 13, 2022
$859,208,836

Technical specs

Runtime 2 hours 41 minutes
IMAX 6-Track
Dolby Digital
Dolby Atmos
D-Cinema 96kHz Dolby Surround 7.1
12-Track Digital Sound
Dolby Surround 7.1

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Every Upcoming MCU Project After Deadpool & Wolverine

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First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2023	2024	,

From Marvel Studios Animation comes Eyes of Wakanda , a show about Wakandan warriors of the past who were sent to retrieve vibranium artifacts around the world. As series creator Todd Harris revealed at 2024's D23 Expo, one of these warriors is a new character named Noni, who is connected to Iron Fist . It is unclear at this time if the new show's version of the hero will be linked to the Netflix series of the same name. Not much else is known about the series' plot, but Marvel's head of streaming, animation and television Brad Winderbaum has confirmed that Eyes of Wakanda will be canon to the MCU.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2021	2024	,

Peter Parker in the Disney+ series Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Spider-Man Animated Series to Bring Back Past Spidey Actor as the New Peter Parker

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's lead voice actor has been revealed, and it's someone familiar with the role.

Another Marvel Studios Animation project that's been in development for quite a while is Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man . Originally, the series was meant to tell Peter Parker's origin story in the MCU, which has never been fully explored. However, later details revealed that it would not be set in the main MCU timeline after all, but the series will still take inspiration from this iteration of the character. Instead of being recruited by Tony Stark, this Peter Parker will be mentored by Norman Osborn, leading him to meet other notable heroes and villains, such as Daredevil, Nico Minoru, Amadeus Cho, Doc Ock, Scorpion and The Wizard. A second season is already in development.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man temp poster

In his latest adventure, the iconic web-slinger faces new challenges when a sinister villain emerges, threatening the safety of his city. Balancing high school, friendships, and his secret identity, he must harness all his abilities to protect his neighborhood and the people he cares about from impending doom.

Captain America: Brave New World

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2021	February 14, 2025	,

In the MCU's next theatrical offering, Captain America: Brave New World , Sam Wilson enters a tense alliance with the United States' new president, Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, who will finally transform into the Red Hulk. At 2024's San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed that Tiamut Island, the new land mass made of the Celestial that Sersi turned to stone in Eternals , houses the new element adamantium, leading to an international scramble for control. The movie will see the return of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier 's Isaiah Bradley and Joaquin Torres , as well as The Incredible Hulk 's Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns/The Leader. It will also introduce new characters like Ruth Bat-Seraph and Seth Voelker/Sidewinder.

Marvel Studios Captain America 4 movie teaser poster

The upcoming fourth movie in the Captain America franchise.

Daredevil: Born Again

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2022	March 2025	,

The second title released under the Marvel Television banner will be Daredevil: Born Again . Initially disconnected from Netflix's Daredevil , the project underwent a creative overhaul that saw it become more like its predecessor. Much of the original show's cast will be reprising their roles, including Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, and Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher. Footage shown exclusively at D23 also revealed that Kamala Khan's father, Yusuf, would make an appearance, and the series will introduce White Tiger and Muse. According to the show's synopsis, Daredevil and Kingpin try to put aside their rivalry , but their pasts come back to haunt them.

Daredevil and Kingpin will face-off again, now inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Punisher will also get a piece of the action.

Thunderbolts*

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2022	May 2, 2025	, , ,

Everything We Know About Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts* is one of the next big upcoming films for the MCU and fans are curious to know more about the latest team-up movie of Marvel misfits.

While it's not the team-up event fans are used to, Phase Five's final film, Thunderbolts* , will be the MCU's biggest crossover in a while, bringing together former villains and other morally dubious characters from throughout the franchise. The roster includes Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, John Walker/U.S. Agent, Ava Starr/Ghost and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster. These characters will be brought together by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to embark on a dangerous mission on behalf of the U.S. government. The movie will also introduce Robert "Bob" Reynolds, aka Sentry, though it's unclear what role he will play in the story. A trailer was shown at SDCC and D23, but it has not been released to general audiences.

Thunderbolts

A group of supervillains are recruited to go on missions for the government.

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2020	2025

The next series under the Marvel Television banner will be Ironheart . Following Riri Williams' debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , the series picks up with the teen genius back at MIT. Footage shown at D23 revealed that Riri has been skipping class to focus on her inventions, leading her to be expelled. Returning home to Chicago, Riri teams up with Anthony Ramos's Parker Robins, aka The Hood , to fund her projects. The series also stars Lyric Ross as Natalie Washington, Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy, Manny Montana as Cousin John, Matthew Elam as Xavier Washington, and Anji White as Riri's mother, Ronnie Williams. Sacha Baron Cohen has also been cast in an undisclosed role.

Genius teenage inventor Riri Williams creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man.

Like the Infinity Saga before it, the Multiverse Saga will end with its third phase, culminating in a major crossover event. Phase Six's full slate has not been revealed yet, but based on its confirmed projects so far, this chapter will likely focus on introducing more key players before the big team-up films. This is similar to Phase Three, which added several heroes to the MCU's roster who had pivotal roles in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame . Even without knowing every project that's to come, there have already been some exciting announcements, particularly when it comes to the franchise's ever-growing cast of characters.

Fantastic Four: First Steps

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2019	July 25, 2025	N/A

Marvel's first family will finally join the MCU in Fantastic Four: First Steps , coming right on the heels of Phase Five's end. The movie will star Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. They will reportedly be joined by Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that the film will be a period piece set in the 1960s , but it probably won't be set in the MCU's main universe, Earth-616. He also explained that the new movie won't depict the team's origin story, which has already been explored in previous films.

Fantastic Four (2025)

One of Marvel's most iconic families makes it back to the big screen, the Fantastic Four.

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2019	November 7, 2025

If everything goes according to plan, the MCU's next movie will be Blade . The film was announced at SDCC in 2019, with Mahershala Ali playing the titular character. Ali even made a voice-only cameo in Eternals ' post-credits scene, where he cautioned Dane Whitman against using the Ebony Blade. Unfortunately, Blade has had a rather troubled production . So far, the movie has lost two directors and been rewritten from the ground up twice, leading to several delays. Marvel Studios has yet to name a new director, but Feige has confirmed that Blade will be R-rated like its predecessors, and while her role remains a mystery amid the rewrites, horror darling Mia Goth is still set to co-star in the film.

Avengers: Doomsday

Doctor Doom has energy flashing from his gauntlet in Marvel Comics.

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2022	May 1, 2026	N/A

The MCU's next major crossover event will be Avengers: Doomsday . Originally titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty , the movie was reworked after Majors' firing. Its story will now feature Doctor Doom as the main antagonist, and at SDCC 2024, Feige revealed that Robert Downey Jr. would be taking on the role . Feige also confirmed that Joe and Anthony Russo will return to direct the movie after Destin Daniel Cretton stepped down, and the script will now be penned by MCU veteran Stephen McFeely. Although Marvel Studios has not yet announced which heroes will face off with Doom, the film seems poised to include newcomers and established heavy hitters alike, such as the Fantastic Four, Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel.

Untitled Vision Series

White Vision tries to crush Wanda's skull in WandaVision.

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2022	2026

One Upcoming MCU Series Is Perfect For Bringing Back a Fan-Favorite Character

The Marvel Cinematic Universe's upcoming Disney+ series Vision Quest has the perfect chance to reintroduce Wanda Maximoff after her apparent death.

Another WandaVision spinoff that has been in the works for a while is a solo series focused on the titular Vision. Although it was first reported to be titled Vision Quest , more recent reports indicate that it is currently untitled. Paul Bettany will return to star in the project, and while WandaVision 's Jac Schaeffer was set to lead as head writer, the series is now being helmed by showrunner Terry Matalas . Story details for the show remain a mystery, but with Vision's body and memories being restored at the end of WandaVision , there are plenty of possibilities for where he'll go next.

Vision Quest

Avengers: secret wars.

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2022	May 7, 2027

While Marvel Studios still has a few as-yet-untitled movies set to release in 2026, the franchise's next big team-up will be Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. The Russo brothers and McFeely are set to direct and write this installment as well. With the movie expected to bring the Multiverse Saga to a close, comic book fans suspect it will take inspiration from Jonathan Hickman's 2015 crossover event of the same name, which saw Marvel Comics' main universe, Earth-616, collide with the Ultimates universe, Earth-1610, in an incursion. Marvel Studios hasn't announced the full cast for the movie, but it seems likely that Secret Wars will surpass Endgame in terms of scale.

With so much going on behind the scenes, it's no surprise that certain MCU projects have gotten lost in the shuffle. Rumors are constantly circulating about what's in active development at Marvel Studios, and there are still plenty of open spots in its Phase Six lineup. Even with presentations at SDCC and D23 offering welcome updates, Feige can't address every project that may or may not be coming up. Some of these projects might be released during Phase Six, while others could end up being part of the MCU's next big saga, and others still might not see the light of day. Here's what we know about each movie and series.

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2020	N/A	, , ,

Armor Wars: What to Know About the MCU's Iron Man-Centric Series

Armor Wars is heading to Disney+. Here's what fans need to know about the Iron Man-centric MCU series.

Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes, aka War Machine, will take center stage in Armor Wars . Originally announced as a Disney+ series, the project was later turned into a movie, with Don Cheadle reprising his role from previous MCU films and shows. Dominique Thorne's Ironheart is also set to appear in the movie, which will explore what happens when Tony Stark's technology ends up in the wrong hands. It'll be especially interesting to see Rhodey deal with Tony's death since Secret Invasion revealed that Rhodey was replaced by a Skrull possibly as early as the events of Captain America: Civil War . Unfortunately, there've been few updates since the shift from TV to film, but as far as audiences know, it is still in development.

Spider-Man 4

MCU's Peter Parker (Tom Holland) stands in a diner looking wistful in Spider-Man No Way Home

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2021	N/A	, ,

Even before the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home , producer Amy Pascal had already confirmed plans for another sequel. Tom Holland is expected to reprise his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, but it's unclear if any of his usual supporting cast will return, considering the last film ended with everyone forced to forget who he was. Director Jon Watts also might not be returning , as he is currently busy with other non-MCU projects. Nothing has been announced about the film's cast, crew or plot details yet, but Feige recently assured fans that the script was being penned , with a draft expected to be completed soon.

Shang-Chi 2

Simu Liu standing outside of a Chinese building in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2021	N/A

Shang-Chi 2 was confirmed to be in the works shortly after the release of the hero's first movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings . Simu Liu is set to return as the titular character, and Cretton will continue to serve as director, with more time to focus on the sequel after he stepped down from the Avengers movies. As with Armor Wars , fans have been concerned at the lack of further news about the movie, but Liu has assured audiences that the movie is still in development . Of course, Shang-Chi could also show up in other MCU projects before returning in his own film.

Wonder Man (Simon Williams) with ionic energy coming off his body in Avengers Vol. 1 issue 685 in Marvel Comics

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2022	N/A	N/A

Marvel's Wonder Man Powers, Enemies & Essential Reading

From the Avengers Mansion to the Hollywood Hills, Simon Williams has forged an unpredictable and exciting path as Wonder Man.

In 2022, fans learned that the studio was developing a Disney+ miniseries titled Wonder Man . The series will consist of ten episodes and center on the character Simon Williams, a Hollywood actor and stuntperson who gets powers and becomes a superhero. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was cast in the leading role. He'll be joined by Demetrius Grosse as his brother, Eric Williams/Grim Reaper, and Ed Harris as his agent, Neal Saroyan. Ben Kingsley will reprise his role of Trevor Slattery from previous MCU projects, and Lauren Glazier, Josh Gad and Byron Bowers have been cast in undisclosed roles. While it doesn't have a release date yet, filming has been completed, and the series will be released under the Marvel Spotlight banner.

Hollywood actor Simon Williams is thrust into the world of superheroes as he gets powers of his own, and becomes the new superhero Wonder Man.

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2022	2027-2028	N/A

Another series that hasn't gotten much publicity at Marvel Studios' major presentations is Nova . Up until recently, fans weren't even sure if it would be a movie or a Disney+ show, but Feige recently confirmed that it is a series . The story will focus on the original Nova, Richard Rider, who comes into possession of a Nova Corps helmet that grants him superpowers. When it was first announced, Moon Knight 's Sabir Pirzada was attached to write the project. Unfortunately, no further details have been revealed. According to Feige, the show likely won't reach Disney+ for another three or four years, meaning it could be part of Phase Six or Seven.

What If…? Season 3

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2022	2024-2025	Seasons 1-2

After two seasons of exploring the Marvel multiverse, What If…? will end with its third season. Story editor Matthew Chauncey takes over from head writer A.C. Bradley, who stepped down to pursue other projects. The final season will continue to be narrated by Jeffrey Wright's Uatu the Watcher, and while fans don't yet know who else might return, Captain Carter, who starred in both previous seasons, seems like a safe bet. Season 3 will also include characters who haven't appeared in the series yet, including Moon Knight, Monica Rambeau, Shang-Chi, Ironheart and Agatha Harkness. Winderbaum has said that Season 3 will likely be the next Marvel Studios Animation project released, so it could join Phase Six or even Phase Five's slate.

What If...?

Exploring pivotal moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and turning them on their head, leading the audience into uncharted territory.

X-Men '97 Season 2

Gambit, Magneto and Rogue convene during the genocidal attack on Genosha in X-Men '97.

First Announced	Expected Release Date	Related Projects
2024	N/A

X-Men '97's New X-Men Team for Season 2, Explained

Forge and Bishop are building a new X-Men team in Season 2 of X-Men '97, but who will be some of the key players of this new team?

X-Men '97 successfully picked up where X-Men: The Animated Series left off, and a second season was already in the works well before the first season aired on Disney+. Matthew Chaucey will be taking over as head writer following Beau DeMayo's firing . The show's cast, which includes several voice actors from the original series, are expected to reprise their roles in Season 2, with some of them having already begun recording for it. However, with much of Season 2 reportedly being rewritten, it is unclear when fans will get to see the next season. Despite the behind-the-scenes changes, a third season is already in the works as well.

X-Men '97

X-Men '97 is a continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992).

Marvel Zombies

Zombie Captain America standing in a doorway roaring in What If...?

Following the positive reception of the What If…? episode "What If… Zombies?!" Marvel Studios revealed its plans for a TV-MA spinoff based on the episode simply titled Marvel Zombies . The new show is expected to address the episode's cliffhanger, which revealed that a zombified Thanos had taken over Wakanda with an almost complete Infinity Gauntlet, unbeknownst to the heroes who escaped zombie Wanda and her horde. It will also introduce new zombies, including Emil Blonksy/Abomination, Ava Starr/Ghost, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Ikaris and Okoye, as well as new surviving heroes, such as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop, Red Guardian, Shang-Chi, Katy Chen and Jimmy Woo. The series is currently in production, but no release date has been announced.

Poster of Marvel Zombies the upcoming MCU show

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Verified Hot: Honoring The Films with the Highest Verified Audience Scores

We're honoring the hottest titles on the popcornmeter, including deadpool & wolverine , twisters , inside out 2 , bad boys: ride or die , it ends with us , and more..

At Rotten Tomatoes, we’re continually striving to enhance our recommendation tools for movie and TV fans. We’re excited to introduce a new elevated distinction to our Verified Audience Score: Verified Hot . This new designation will complement our Certified Fresh rating, helping fans not only find films that are widely praised by critics but also discover those beloved by audiences. It’s a win-win!

We’re breaking down Verified Hot – a new way to celebrate audiences. pic.twitter.com/1aaqnfFere — Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) August 21, 2024

But how does a film become Verified Hot? In order to qualify, it has to earn a Verified Audience Score of 90% or higher on the Popcornmeter and meet a set of eligibility requirements, which you can read about here

Below, you’ll find a list of over 200 Verified Hot films at launch on the Popcornmeter. This includes some of the summer’s hottest titles — like Deadpool & Wolverine , Twisters , Bad Boys: Ride or Die , and It Ends With Us — as well as films that have resonated most with audiences since we launched our Verified Audience Ratings and Reviews in May 2019.

See below for the full list of studio titles in alphabetical order that will receive Verified Hot at launch:

12 Mighty Orphans
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
A Journal for Jordan
A Man Called Otto
A Quiet Place Part II
American Fiction
American Underdog
Angel Has Fallen
Arthur the King
Avatar: The Way of Water
Bad Boys for Life
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Black and Blue
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Widow
Blinded by the Light
Blue Beetle
Bob Marley: One Love
Brian Banks
Bring the Soul: The Movie
BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas
Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers
Clifford the Big Red Dog
Dark Waters
Deadpool & Wolverine
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie — Mugen Train
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Dream Horse
Dune: Part Two
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Echo in the Canyon
Fly Me to the Moon
Ford v Ferrari
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla vs. Kong
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Gran Turismo
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant
Harold and the Purple Crayon
His Only Son
I Heard the Bells
I Still Believe
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
In the Heights
Inside Out 2
Ip Man 4: The Finale
It Ends With Us
Jackass Forever
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
Jesus Revolution
Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist
John Wick: Chapter 4
Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon
Jojo Rabbit
Journey to Bethlehem
Judas and the Black Messiah
Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie
Jungle Cruise
K.G.F: Chapter 2 — The IMAX 2D Experience
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War – The First Kiss that Never Ends
King Richard
Land of Bad
Last Night in Soho
Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
Little Women
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Mission Mangal
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising
My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission
No Safe Spaces
One Piece Film: Red
One Piece: Stampede
Oppenheimer
Ordinary Angels
Pain and Glory
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie
PAW Patrol: The Movie
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Possum Trot
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Queen & Slim
Raya and the Last Dragon
Redeeming Love
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
Richard Jewell
Rite Here Rite Now
Ron’s Gone Wrong
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Show Me the Father
Someone Like You
Something to Stand For
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sound of Freedom
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spies in Disguise
Spirit Untamed
SUGA: Agust D Tour D-Day the Movie
Sword Art Online: Progressive – Scherzo of Deep Night
Sword Art Online: Progressive — Aria of a Starless Night
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond
The Ark and the Darkness
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Bad Guys
The Beekeeper
The Boys in the Boat
The Color Purple
The Courier
The Croods: A New Age
The Equalizer 3
The Girl Who Believes in Miracles
The Holdovers
The Iron Claw
The Jesus Music
The Journey: A Music Special from Andrea Bocelli
The Last Full Measure
The Little Mermaid
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith
The Peanut Butter Falcon
The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie
The Secret Life of Pets 2
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The Wandering Earth 2
The Woman King
Top Gun: Maverick
Toy Story 4
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Trolls Band Together
Unsung Hero
Waitress: The Musical
Weathering With You
West Side Story
Where the Crawdads Sing
Wrath of Man

Here at Rotten Tomatoes, we pride ourselves on delivering the most trusted entertainment recommendations possible to audiences across the world, and we’re constantly looking for ways to improve that experience. The Popcornmeter wouldn’t be nearly as useful without the contributions from those of you who continue to leave user ratings and reviews, so be sure to leave plenty of them, and your fellow movie and TV lovers will thank you for it!

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The 32 greatest Marvel movie moments

These are the moments that make us shout, "Assemble!"

A long time ago, there was an idea: To bring together a group of remarkable Marvel Comics superheroes together for the same movie. What has happened since is nothing short of dreams coming true for the most die-hard Marvel fans in existence.

Since the release of Iron Man in 2008, the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe has evolved to encompass over 30 movies, a dozen television shows, and so much more. Demarcated by “phases,” the MCU is built on long-term storytelling, with audiences investing in characters whose movies are always looking ahead to the future. For better or worse, the MCU is predicated on the only guarantee in life besides taxes: That there will always be tomorrow.

With more than 30 movies that make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s due time to recognize some of the greatest moments ever in the film franchise. To be clear, we’re only looking at theatrically released films, a specific format the MCU was first made for, long before it expanded into realms like TV and Disney + streaming.

From crowning moments of pure awesome to moving moments that tugged at the heartstrings, here are the 32 greatest Marvel movie moments.

32. The Umbrellas of Aladna (The Marvels)

Carol Danvers walks on the planet Aladna in The Marvels

There’s a period of five years where Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel, got up to all sorts of wild adventures in space. With The Marvels, fans finally learned of at least one thing that happened: She got married!

While Carol was betrothed to the alien Prince Yan (Park Seo-joon), in a ceremonial capacity, that doesn’t stop the movie’s introduction of the planet Aladna from being a total blast. A musical planet where its people can only communicate in song, Aladna is where any and all expectations of superhero action movies go to die and end up in heaven.

31. Just the Facts, Luis (Ant-Man)

Luis stands in a Chinatown district about to explain to Scott Lang that the Avengers want him in Ant-Man

If there’s one thing you can bet on in the MCU, it’s that Luis (played by Michael Peña) can’t tell a simple story. In the first two films in Marvel’s Ant-Man trilogy, Scott Lang’s ex cellmate turned new best friend reveals a knack for convoluted explanations. In the first movie, the gag lampoons how word can spread in the criminal underground. But in the second movie, it becomes a superpower as Luis’ overly detailed explanations about their history helps buy Scott and the others a lot of time.

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30. Unmasking the Mandarin (Iron Man 3)

The Mandarin gives an elaborate monologue in a dark cave in Iron Man 3

You’ll never see him coming… and fans did not see his big twist coming, either. In Iron Man 3, from writer/director Shane Black, the Mandarin gets a 21st century spin as a terrorist whose anti-American crusade has made him the figurehead of the secretive Ten Rings organization. Or at least, so audiences are made to believe at first. When Tony Stark finally infiltrates the “lair” of the Mandarin, he finds instead a washed-up actor (Ben Kingsley), who is hired by the real villains in A.I.M. to distract the world. While the 2021 film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings finally gave a face to the true Mandarin, Iron Man 3’s big twist is still one of the best moments in all of the MCU.

29. Another Day at “Stark Internship” (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

Spider-Man eats a churro at sunset in Spider-Man: Homecoming

Set to the rollicking sounds of The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop,'' this early scene from Spider-Man: Homecoming shows Marvel fans what a “day in the life” of a friendly neighborhood superhero really looks like. Instead of fighting aliens and hyper-intelligent machines, Spider-Man (played by Tom Holland) instead helps old ladies cross the street, puts a stop to bicycle thieves, and appeases New Yorkers who ask him to do backflips. After many successive Marvel movies featuring world-ending stakes, this bit is so refreshing in how it gives fans the lay of the land of Marvel’s New York.

28. Killmonger Takes the Throne (Black Panther)

Kilmonger challenges T'Challa for the throne of Wakanda in Black Panther

The beautiful ritual combat that decides Wakanda’s crowned king gets bleak when Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) brute-forces a challenge for the throne… and wins. Directed with sheer skill by Ryan Coogler, Killmonger’s victory over a vulnerable T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) hits hard, its feelings of sudden despair palpable in the terrified reactions of T’Challa’s friends and family. See them realize just how vulnerable the most powerful kingdom in the world can actually be if they’re not careful. It’s a lesson they learn in the hardest of ways.

27. “Loki, I Thought the World of You” (Thor: Ragnarok)

Thor and Loki ride an elevator in Thor: Ragnarok

Throughout the Thor film series, Marvel fans knew of the love-hate relationship between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and his adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). If one of them is the spoiled jock son of Asgard’s king, the other is the resentful theater kid who's never-ending search for an audience is meant to make up for an absence of love. But in Thor: Ragnarok, a subdued conversation between Thor and Loki explodes with deep-seated feelings where Thor reveals that he does, in fact, love Loki, but has long ago given up hope they’ll ever act like real brothers. In a movie overloaded with over-the-top goofs, Thor and Loki talking about their abandoned wishes for each other is one of the most remarkably human moments in the MCU.

26. Rocket Loses Lyla (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

Rocket screams for Lyla in his flashback in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, from writer/director James Gunn , Rocket’s harrowing origins are revealed. Being a science experiment of the villainous High Evolutionary (played by a thunderous Chukwudi Iwuji), Rocket had a tight-knit group of similarly intelligent talking critters, among them Lyla, an otter. But as his flashbacks reveal, Rocket’s failed attempt to break them out goes south after the High Evolutionary kills Lyla in front of him. As Rocket lets out a feral cry of heartbreak (props to Bradley Cooper for an incredible voiceover performance), the cold-blooded High Evolutionary mocks him in a way that comes across as though Rocket has inconvenienced his Tuesday. It’s a shattering moment that explains so much of Rocket’s abrasive personality and rugged exterior, being his armor to protect him from ever feeling as lost and hurt as he was once before.

25. Mayhem in Monaco (Iron Man 2)

Tony Stark puts on his portable Iron Man armor in Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 came very early in the MCU, being only the third movie released in the franchise and when the MCU was not yet synonymous with world-ending stakes and seismic set pieces that shake the Earth. This is most apparent in Tony’s first encounter with Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), set at the Monaco Grand Prix, for a rousing action scene that still has the feeling of real-world physics that make the carnage actually feel dangerous. The scene feels most alive when Tony busts out his “portable” alternate armor, which permanently sets Tony’s habit to always iterate his artillery. Simply put, you don’t get the nano machinery of his Avengers: Endgame armor without Tony first figuring how to pack it all in a suitcase.

24. Red in Her Ledger (The Avengers)

Loki is interrogated by Black Widow in the Avengers helicarrier in The Avengers

It’s hard to fathom it now, but The Avengers is only the second-ever appearance of Natasha Romanov, a.k.a. Black Widow, famously played by Scarlett Johansson. But the movie affords Natasha plenty more development than she had in her first appearance in Iron Man 2. In a most memorable exchange with Loki, the master spy lays bare all her anxieties — including the guilt she feels over her violent past as an assassin — as a ploy to get Loki to give up his big scheme (to unleash the Hulk). It’s no small feat to outsmart a literal trickster god, but Natasha did it with style. Honestly, she outsmarted all of us here.

23. The Bus Fight (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

Shang-Chi readies himself in the San Francisco bus in Marvel's Shang-Chi movie

In a universe full of hammer-wielding thunder gods and super soldiers, a character like Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) needs to stand out in a big way. So how else can director Destin Daniel Cretton introduce fans to the so-called “Master of Kung Fu” but have him show off his elite skills in a dynamic environment? The first time Shang-Chi unleashes his fists of fury happens early in the movie, when Shang-Chi (under the guise of “Shaun”) rides the San Francisco metro and is cornered by underlings of the Ten Rings who threaten him and his best friend (Awkwafina). To watch this now iconic scene, which pays homage to martial arts movie titans like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, is to watch the birth of a brand new Marvel legend.

22. The After Party (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

Steve Rogers attempts to lift Thor's hammer in Avengers: Age of Ultron

Superheroes: They’re just like us, and that includes their super chill afterparties. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, written and directed by Joss Whedon, the Avengers host a soirée at the top floor of Avengers Tower with VIP guests. But when all is done, the Avengers get together and crack open a few cold ones, leading to a playful challenge over who among them can lift Thor’s hammer Mjolnir. (See Thor’s face when Steve steps up to plate.) Until Ultron walks through the door, this hang sesh shows the secret appeal of Marvel’s movies: How these inhuman gods are more like ourselves than they seem. Such togetherness among cinematic superheroes was a revolutionary concept when Age of Ultron opened in 2015, and for all its faults, few can say they wouldn’t want to be on that couch, sipping beer and munching on Chinese takeout with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

21. Ego’s True Purpose (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)

Peter Quill realizes that his father killed his mother in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

As much fun the Guardians of the Galaxy movies offer, they’re also teeming with darkness rooted in personal traumas involving neglect and abuse. This includes the revelation in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 that Star-Lord’s biological father Ego, played by Kurt Russell, was a vain philanderer whose only goal was to spread his seed and spawn a descendant. While Star-Lord’s true nature as a half-human, half-Celestial may sound cool on paper, it’s Ego’s casually cruel reveal that he gave Peter’s mother the cancer that killed her that made this Celestial god no better than a deadbeat. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expansive, but this jaw-dropping and bone-chilling reveal proves there are still scumbags everywhere.

20. A Walk in the Ancestral Plane (Black Panther)

T'Challa meets his father in the Ancestral Plane in Black Panther

Black Panther is one of the more spiritual films in the MCU, being a film reverent to heritage, traditions, and ancestors. All of these elements come to the forefront in one of the most picturesque moments in the MCU, when T’Challa visits the Ancestral Plane. Set in a beautiful African Savannah brought to life with lush purple skies, T’Challa consults with his late father, T’Chaka (John Kani) about what it means to be a king. When T’Chaka commands his son to “Stand up,” Ludwig Goransson’s score punctuates the moment with sudden triumph; T’Challa stands not because he’s told to, but because he must. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and T’Challa is warned as much before his kingdom is threatened by his own blood.

19. “I Can Do This All Day” (Captain America: The First Avenger/Captain America: Civil War)

Steve Rogers prepares to keep fighting Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War

Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) stood up for the little guy even before he had the Super Soldier Serum. In Captain America: The First Avenger, he said out loud he didn’t like bullies; when he actually stood face-to-face with one, he stayed true to his word and planted his feet like a tree and refused to budge, telling some bozo outside a movie theater: “I can do this all day.” Decades later, he says the same thing to Tony Stark, a formerly close friend and Avengers compatriot who becomes a bitter opponent after truths and lies between themselves blur. “I can do this all day” is an all-time great line, not only because of how flexible it is in everyday use, but because it illuminates Captain America’s own best trait: His resilience. May we all find inspiration from Cap when we’re challenged by forces bigger than us.

18. Submitting to the Red Room (Black Widow)

The bad guy in Black Widow welcomes Natasha in the movie's prologue sequence

In one of the most haunting title introductions to any Marvel movie, Cate Shortland’s Black Widow is provocative in the stolen innocence of child trafficking – and how it is the wellspring for the Red Room, the spy program that trains Natasha to become Black Widow. With a hopeless atmosphere set to a cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (sung by Malia J), hysterical girls wake up in crates and are taken away by armed men whose flashlights disorient the senses. Interspersed are grainy home video footage of Natasha and her sister Yelena, as well as Cold War-esque imagery of worldwide chaos sowed by the Red Room’s graduates. Coming from a billion-dollar studio whose movies spawn toys and theme park rides, this bleak title sequence is surreal and hard to forget, in how it channels a terrible black market industry that happens in the darkest corners of our real world.

17. Scarlet Witch Kills the Illuminati (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

Scarlet Witch confronts the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

You have to hand it to Sam Raimi, a horror director whose bloodletting can sometimes feel like a practical joke. In the Doctor Strange sequel, the Master of the Mystic Arts – still played by Benedict Cumberbatch – is introduced to the Illuminati, a de facto Avengers group for the alternate Earth-838. While fans lost their minds seeing members of the Illuminati include Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart, reprising his X-Men film series role) and Mr. Fantastic (played by John Krasinski in a wild cameo), it was a heck of a thing when Scarlet Witch busts down the door and brutally kills them all just minutes later. That Wanda cleverly finds ways to kill them all using their own abilities is not only impressive, but downright terrifying in her calculating evil.

16. “There Is No God, That’s Why I Stepped In” (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

The High Evolutionary brags about his genius in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

The High Evolutionary is a mean SOB of a movie villain, his cold-blooded ruthlessness only outmatched by his own ego. Late into James Gunn’s third Guardians of the Galaxy movie, Chukwudi Iwuji cements the High Evolutionary’s complete outlook over his place in the universe with a single line delivered with gale force ferocity: “There is no God, that’s why I stepped in.” That the High Evolutionary doesn’t yell this in the face of our heroes but his own subjects tells us the one and only thing we need to know about the High Evolutionary: Even his quest to improve his species’ dominance is all part of his own self-aggrandizing.

15. The Elevator Fight (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

Captain America is surrounded in an elevator

The best thing about the now-iconic elevator fight in Captain America: The Winter Soldier isn’t just its clean craftsmanship that makes a close-quarters fight so visually comprehensible. Nor is it the impressive build-up of suspense, as Steve Rogers feels something askew by the nervous sweat of the men surrounding him. Nor is it the fact that physics still feels like it matters, that even a Super Soldier still struggles to overpower a bunch of burly men and that his fall several flights down and through a glass roof feels painful and heavy with weight. It’s all of the above, being a compulsively rewatchable scene in a compulsively rewatchable movie.

14. The Battle of Wakanda (Avengers: Infinity War)

Black Panther stands with the army of Wakanda in Avengers; Infinity War

While the climax of Avengers: Endgame is better remembered as an all-time moment in the MCU, the Battle of Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War has its own merits for consideration alongside it. Not only is it the first time all the different Marvel factions fight together, but Alan Silvestri’s symphonic composition – simply titled “Charge!” – has pronounced notes of uncertainty than his more assured-in-victory “Portals” piece from Endgame. The result is a beautiful, breathtaking few minutes that feel more like a classic war movie (aliens and lasers aside) than a superhero blockbuster.

13. Meeting Liz’s Dad (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

The Vulture taunts Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming

The worst thing a teenage superhero can find out is that his girlfriend’s dad is also his archenemy. Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Homecoming brilliantly seizes on its premise of merging comic book superheroism into the crazier, more complicated world of high school through its big reveal that the Vulture (Michael Keaton) is also the father of Peter’s crush, Liz (Laura Harrier). In the movie, Peter wants nothing more than to just be Spider-Man. But are the privileges of being a hero too great if it comes at the cost of ruining his would-be girlfriend’s life? While Spider-Man: Homecoming could have just left things at the door, Keaton ends up stealing the whole movie when he, in chilling fashion, threatens Peter in the guise of a dad just wanting to “talk” to his daughter’s new boyfriend. Worst. Homecoming. Ever.

12. Divided They Fall (Captain America: Civil War)

Team Captain America stands tall in Civil War

While the superhero-versus-superhero conflict of Captain America: Civil War isn’t on the same scale as it was in the comics, the battle between heroes is a hell of a sight to behold in the Russo Brothers’ 2016 blockbuster. While Thor and Hulk are MIA, the battle still includes Marvel heroes few expected when the film was announced two years earlier, like Ant-Man, Vision, and Spider-Man. (Chadwick Boseman was announced to portray Black Panther when Civil War was first unveiled by Kevin Feige.) That the airport set piece happens organically in the plot is also impressive, proof that Marvel was and arguably still isn’t careless in its storytelling.

11. Unleashing the Hulkbuster (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

Iron Man uses the Hulkbuster in Avengers: Infinity War

In one of the most ground-shaking action scenes ever in the MCU, the brawny Hulk goes one-on-one with the titanic Hulkbuster. Invented by both Tony Stark and Bruce Banner as a safety measure against the unpredictable Hulk, it was eventually deployed in Age of Ultron after Wanda, under orders of Ultron (voiced by James Spader) casts a spell over Hulk who unleashes destruction on an unsuspecting Johannesburg. When Tony “calls in Veronica,” it’s a nod to the Archie Comics and the fact that Bruce’s ex in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk was named Betty (Liv Tyler). While Marvel movies are known for going big, this fight in particular is a super heavyweight match for the ages.

10. “Have I Not Given Everything?” (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

Queen Ramonda laments the loss of her family in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

When Chadwick Boseman died in 2020, it was a loss felt around the world. The filmmakers of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, including writer/director Ryan Coogler, had no choice but to move forward without T’Challa, and crafted a film that directly addressed a vacated position of power. For the time being, dominion over Wakanda rested on Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda, who is still visibly mourning the death of her son when she gets word that her daughter Shuri (Letita Wright) has now been kidnapped by a strange foreign kingdom of a seafaring species, led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta). Having lost her husband in Captain America: Civil War, her son, and now her daughter, Ramonda delivers a stirring, powerful speech about the fallacy of political power and its inability to actually protect one’s family. When Ramonda cries, “Have I not given everything?” it practically guaranteed her an Oscar nomination.

9. Showdown in the Zen Garden (Iron Man 2)

Iron Man and War Machine team up in a Japanese garden in Iron Man 2

In this climax piece actually storyboarded by the legendary Genndy Tartakovsky (creator of Samurai Jack), Tony and Rhodey team up as Iron Man and War Machine in a fist-pumping finale of fireworks. What makes the scene remarkable in hindsight is how un -MCU it now feels; after a buildup of taiko drums, there’s no music at all, which allows the clanking metal and rapid-fire bullets to sing on their own. Falling pink sakura leaves adds a touch of natural beauty in an otherwise masculine and artificial moment. (Remember: we’re watching heavily armored men fire lasers and bullets on synthetic soldiers.) Dialogue is minimal, meaning no one is ruining the moment with sarcastic quips. Iron Man 2 is arguably the last time Marvel movies felt more like traditional action movies than capital-M Marvel movies, and boy did they go out with a bang.

8. “There Was an Idea…” (The Avengers)

Steve Rogers and Tony Stark regroup to form the Avengers in the SHIELD helicarrier with Nick Fury

Why should mankind form a team like the Avengers in the first place? In a stirring and solemn speech delivered by Samuel L. Jackson (as Nick Fury), the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. boils down the purpose of the Avengers to its core: To fight the battles humanity can’t fight themselves. While Fury admits the idea is “old fashioned” — and it’s true, Marvel’s Avengers comics have been in circulation for over 50 years and counting after all — Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, being a lively escapist blockbuster that changed popcorn movies forever, proved that old fashioned heroics never goes out of style.

7. “Dance Off, Bro!” (Guardians of the Galaxy)

Star-Lord challenges Ronan to a dance-off in Guardians of the Galaxy

In summer 2014, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy took moviegoers by surprise. After Groot’s moving sacrifice to protect his fellow Guardians when they crashed down to Xandar, the smoke clears to the soothing sounds of “O-o-h Child” by The Five Stairsteps. (“Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier…”) As Ronan (Lee Pace) makes his big speech to cement his victory, he’s interrupted by Star-Lord, who… challenges him to a dance-off. (Ronan is just as confused as anyone.) While Star-Lord is simply providing a distraction for the other Guardians to make him lose the Power Stone, aka an Infinity Stone, Chris Pratt’s goofy moves to thwart a supervillain’s grand plan has become exactly the kind of comedy relief mischief that audiences now expect from Marvel’s movies. Even now Guardians of the Galaxy is an emotional thrill ride, where its ups and downs and left and right turns are abrupt but complementary to each other, forming a complete whole experience.

6. Birth of the Super Soldier (Captain America: The First Avenger)

Steve Rogers is reborn with the Super Soldier serum in Captain America: The First Avenger

In this superhero origin unlike any other, puny Steve Rogers is injected with the experimental Super Soldier serum to serve on the frontlines against the Axis. Importantly, the creator of the serum, Dr. Abraham Erskrine (Stanley Tucci) wanted the perfect soldier from the get-go – not in body, but in their heart. And so, the sequence in which Steve is selected and becomes an augmented soldier of cutting-edge science is a fine piece of sci-fi filmmaking, a throwback to the Golden Age of comics when a demand for unquestionable heroism collided with the thrill of discovery. While the scene that follows is fun and ingenious (watch Steve experiment with shield-based arms when he improvises using a taxi door), it’s Erskrine’s reminder that Steve’s heart is still his most important muscle that characterizes Cap for all throughout the MCU.

5. Five Years Later (Avengers: Endgame)

Ant-Man walks through a desolate San Francisco in Avengers: Endgame

A year after audiences were rendered speechless from the end of Avengers: Infinity War, the opening few minutes of Avengers: Endgame conjure a feeling of aimless panic. While the Avengers regroup and chase down Thanos on another planet, they’re already acting out of a sense of defeat. They can do what they want including killing Thanos (and indeed they do). But even when they accomplish their mission, nothing is satisfying. The people are still gone. The only way forward, they realize, is to keep on keeping on. And so the quiet and sullen long stretch from the time immediately following Thanos’ death until they activate the time machine is an underrated part of the MCU, where the most intriguing parts of living in a universe of superheroes isn’t how they save the day, but how they continue on after they’ve lost.

4. A Friend From Work (Thor: Ragnarok)

Thor yells in glee in the Grandmaster's arena in Thor: Ragnarok

In Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok, Hulk/Bruce Banner and Thor reunite after over two years in the strangest of places: On Sakaar, in the Contest of Champions overseen by the charismatic and flamboyant Grandmaster. But while Thor is clearly happy to see an old friend of his – not just because they’re buds, but because it means Thor doesn’t have to play the Grandmaster’s silly games – Hulk is not, for whatever reason. In a blind rage, Hulk dukes it out with Thor, resulting in a gnarly fight scene that unofficially decides who, in fact, is the “Strongest Avenger.”

3. The Blip (Avengers: Infinity War)

Spider-Man vanishes to dust on an alien planet in Avengers: Infinity War

It was the cliffhanger ending no one saw coming. When Thanos used the Infinity Stones to “snap” half the universe away, beloved heroes vanish into dust, creating an apocalypse few summer blockbusters dare to attempt. Even for those who knew that another Avengers film was set to arrive a year later, that doesn’t stop the ending of Avengers: Infinity War from feeling dire. There’s just no words to describe the feeling of seeing characters that audiences love just vanish, without any real guarantee to see them again. (A post-credits scene teasing the ultra-powerful Captain Marvel notwithstanding.) While it’s hard to fathom, the ending of Infinity War was a serious gamble, in which Marvel banked on its audience’s interest to sustain itself over the next year. It could have gone so, so wrong, but it’s only now that we know there was only one way it could have ever ended.

2. “I Am Iron Man” (Iron Man/Avengers: Endgame)

Iron Man holds the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame

The genius of Tony Stark’s last line, both in his first solo movie and in Avengers: Endgame, is how it's so truly authentic to his character. Being a grade-A narcissist who relishes attention, there is simply nothing else and nothing better Stark could have said at the end of 2008’s Iron Man even when it was in his best interest to stay quiet. Years later, when face to face with Thanos – another equally vain individual who is so distracted by his momentary seizure of ultimate power – Tony Stark not only quotes himself (again, narcissist), but uses it to give Thanos one last punch in the guy before snapping him away. Thanos may claim to be an inevitability in a cold, cruel universe, but Tony Stark is Iron Man, and he’ll find a way to outsmart the inevitable.

1. Assembled (The Avengers/Avengers: Endgame)

The Avengers assemble for the first time in the Battle of New York

When all is said and done, the grand experiment that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be seen as an undeniable success. While plans were only loosely sketched out from the start at best, Marvel’s intentions were always to have as many of its comic book superhero characters team up for at least one, maybe two movies. In both The Avengers, released in 2012, and Avengers: Endgame released in 2019, that dream was fully realized in two different shots that feel impossible to describe to old school comic book fans. With The Avengers, the climax kicks off with an incredible revolving shot that sees the original Avengers roster stand together in New York to take on an alien army together. In Avengers: Endgame, the scale of that first image is increased tenfold, with not only a thousand extra characters from different worlds but also more heroes like Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and so many more. No matter what else happens in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it will always come down to these two moments, and more like them. It’s having all the best toys in the toy box standing together. What more could moviegoers want?

Eric Francisco is a freelance entertainment journalist and graduate of Rutgers University. If a movie or TV show has superheroes, spaceships, kung fu, or John Cena, he's your guy to make sense of it. A former senior writer at Inverse, his byline has also appeared at Vulture, The Daily Beast, Observer, and The Mary Sue. You can find him screaming at Devils hockey games or dodging enemy fire in Call of Duty: Warzone.

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COMMENTS

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie review (2022)
Powered by JustWatch. The center of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"—the sequel to the hugely popular " Black Panther ," and a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman —is sincere, even if the overall film feels manufactured. It begins with a funeral for the recently deceased King T'Challa. Shuri ( Letitia Wright) and Queen Ramonda ...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Rated: 2.5/5 Nov 18, 2022 Full Review Joe George The Progressive Rather than position Namor as a man who suffered an unfortunate, but centuries-old, part of nation-building, Wakanda Forever ...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever review: a cathartic step forward for
Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — out November 11th from director Ryan Coogler — is a powerful and beautiful sequel powered by grief and hope.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters on Nov. 11. Below is a spoiler-free review. In a cinematic universe where half of all living beings have already died and come back to life, Black ...
'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Review: Women on the Home Front
In "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," the director Ryan Coogler feeds his own and the public's grief into the story, infusing the movie with somber notes of family loss and collective ...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 9, 2023. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may not quite measure up to its predecessor, but it leaves a proud, beautiful, silent tribute to the legacy of ...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hardly just another sequel in the MCU, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has the pressure of following up the best-reviewed movie of the franchise — which was also up for Best Picture (and won three of its six other Oscar nominations). Of course, the second Black Panther feature is also missing its former lead, Chadwick Boseman, who sadly died of cancer in 2020.
'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Review
Director: Ryan Coogler. Screenwriters: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole. Rated PG-13, 2 hours 41 minutes. More than any other entry in the MCU canon, Black Panther became a genuine cultural ...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Is Not Your Typical Marvel Movie
Is Not Your Typical Marvel Movie. Grief slows the pace of Ryan Coogler's sequel but makes it more meaningful in the process. Courtesy of Marvel Studios. The release of Black Panther was like ...
Black Panther Wakanda Forever review: Marvel's sequel is thunderous
While the film clocks in at just around 160 minutes, Wakanda Forever is paced in such a way that its action sequences move at a brisk clip, while its more serious moments never overstay a beat ...
Review: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ryan Coogler's follow-up to the resplendent 2018 Marvel adventure Black Panther, offers spectacle to spare. The production design, once again by Hannah Beachler ...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever review: a sumptuous elegy for a king
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (in theaters Friday) ultimately finds a new path forward, though director Ryan Coogler 's grand, somber requiem makes it clear in nearly every scene that the late ...
'Wakanda Forever' review: A tribute to 'Black Panther' star
'Wakanda Forever' review: A tribute to 'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman On- and off-screen tragedies merge as the film reckons with the 2020 death of Chadwick Boseman, honoring the memory of ...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review: A Powerfully
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a production of Marvel Studios. It will be released theatrically on November 11th from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . Movie and TV Reviews
Movie review: 'Wakanda Forever' : NPR
Movie review: 'Wakanda Forever' Marvel's "Black Panther" sequel, "Wakanda Forever," brings together almost all the original cast members for a story that is both an elegy for Chadwick Boseman and ...
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a fitting tribute to an icon, and it paves an exciting way forward for the Marvel franchise while cementing itself as a cultural force to be reckoned with. Next: My Father's Dragon Review: Gorgeous Animated Movie Runs On Empathy. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debuts in theaters Friday, November 11. The film is ...
'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Review: A Furious Slow-Burn Sequel
Watching "Wakanda Forever," it's almost unavoidable that we feel the absence of Boseman's heroic dramatic center of gravity. The movie doesn't have the classic comic-book pow of "Black ...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review: MCU Phase 4's Somber
Wakanda Forever similarly has to balance being both a testament to Boseman and T'Challa, but within the format of a more standard superhero film. For the most part, Coogler does a solid job at ...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release Date: 11 Nov 2022. Original Title: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. For all of its blockbuster bombast and globe-trotting conflict, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is, in a sense, framed ...
'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Review: A Sad, Super MCU Sequel
Marvel Studios. Perhaps inescapably, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Ryan Coogler's sequel to 2018's game-changing hit Black Panther — opens on a somber note. There are heroics to be had ...
'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Review: An Overtaxed Sequel
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever carries a series of burdens no one film could ever bear.Its director, Ryan Coogler, must grapple with the challenges and expectations born and influenced by the ...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Movie Review
This movie carries the whole Phase 4 on its back, and it doesn't screw it up like so many Phase 4 movies have (*ahem* Thor: Love and Thunder). Overall, this movie holds so much potential for the MCU movies to expand and the Black Panther franchise. And this movie has so much packed into its part, that watching it more than once is highly advisable.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Directed by Ryan Coogler. With Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke. The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T'Challa.
Every Upcoming MCU Project After Deadpool & Wolverine
From Marvel Studios Animation comes Eyes of Wakanda, a show about Wakandan warriors of the past who were sent to retrieve vibranium artifacts around the world.As series creator Todd Harris revealed at 2024's D23 Expo, one of these warriors is a new character named Noni, who is connected to Iron Fist.It is unclear at this time if the new show's version of the hero will be linked to the Netflix ...
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Η Άντζελα Μπάσετ έλαβε ευρεία αναγνώριση από τους κριτικούς και το κοινό, έχοντας τις περισσότερες υποκριτικές υποψηφιότητες για το Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.. Το Black Panther: Wakanda Forever είναι αμερικανική υπερηρωική ταινία ...
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Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox. ... Wakanda Forever) (Image credit: Marvel Studios) When Chadwick Boseman died in 2020, it was a loss felt around the world ...

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Reviewed at Dolby 88, Oct. 27, 2022. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 161 MIN.

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