It’s safe to say the sequel to Black Panther has been receiving incredible reviews…
So much so fans have even said they want to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever win multiple Oscars.
But before we get into that story, let’s have a look back at the late actor Chadwick Boseman who wore the original Panther suit…
The news of Chadwick Boseman’s death back in 2020 shook the world to its very core.
While appearing in different movies, we had no idea that the late actor was battling colon cancer.
He was still working right up until the end, appearing in multiple movies.
Including the legendary movie that is Black Panther.
As we all know, Black Pather completely revolutionized the film industry.
Back in 2018, Black Panther became the talk of the town as it hit all major big-screens.
It wasn’t just any old superhero movie…
Marvel brought cultural importance to the forefront of a storyline while still maintaining the classic “hero vs villain” trope.
It was a huge success.
With black talent spread across the entire cast and production, Black Panther became more than just a social talking point: It became an artistic celebration of black culture.
Fans loved the new approach to the movie.
The genre typically upholds traditional superhero visuals, as seen with Superman, Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, and Batman, just to name a select few…
But Black Panther saw a whole new story be brought to life.
A culture that was once seen as other, brought about a celebration in a way that actually brought audiences together to share their love for the genre.
And it’s the characters that brought it to life.
In such a strong line-up of actors and actresses, we saw the fusion of old and new black actors including Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, and Letitia Wright.
As well as Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman.
The Guardian described him as a man who was helping to “[open] up people’s minds.”
The role shot him into the spotlight.
Even though Boseman made an appearance in Captain America: Civil War prior to this blockbuster, no one really acknowledged the talent and drive behind his character.
But Boseman knew how important it was to represent his character to the fullest.
He explained how most of it was “brought on himself.”
“It’s not like it’s actually coming from outside. I think we all placed that pressure on ourselves with this cos we knew what the opportunity was. Everyone knew this was something that had not been done before.”
Boseman had to deal with a lot while filming.
But it was more than just mental pressure, he was also struggling with his own battles as we found out in 2020.
Fans started to notice he was getting thinner.
The first video to raise the most concern was when the star was celebrating Major League Baseball’s “Jackie Robinson Day” with his fans, people flocked to social media platforms to express their concerns. The video has since been deleted from his actual Instagram.
What people didn’t know, was the extent of his illness.
He was going through severe health problems, and that’s why his fans were so concerned about his appearance.
Despite this, he created one of the most iconic Marvel characters.
The director of Black Pather, Ryan Coogler, even spoke out about how Boseman influenced one of the most iconic lines in the film.
It turns out Killmonger could have had a very different line.
According to ET, Coogler revealed that while filming a scene with John Kani, who played his father in the film, he learned Kani’s native language in a day, which eventually became the official language of Wakanda.
He was shocked by Boseman’s dedication…
“I thought to myself, ‘He just learned lines in another language, that day?’ I couldn’t conceive how difficult that must have been, and even though I hadn’t met Chad, I was already in awe of his capacity as an actor.”
Then there was the language of Wakanda…
“The decision to have Xhosa be the official language of Wakanda was solidified by Chad, a native of South Carolina, because he was able to learn his lines in Xhosa, there on the spot.”
Boseman also wanted T’Challa to speak with an accent.
“He advocated for his character to speak with an African accent so that he could present T’Challa to audiences as an African king, whose dialect had not been conquered by the West.”
But one of the most notable changes Boseman made was for Killmonger…
The line was for Erik Killmonger, who was played by Michael B. Jordan.
Boseman questioned the original script…
“In early drafts of the script, Eric Killmonger’s character would ask T’Challa to be buried in Wakanda. Chad challenged that and asked, ‘What if Killmonger asked to be buried somewhere else?’”
And that’s where his iconic line came in…
“Bury me in the ocean with my ancestors who jumped from ships, ’cause they knew death was better than bondage.”
Coogler continued that he wasn’t aware of Boseman’s illness while working with him…
“Chad deeply valued his privacy, and I wasn’t privy to the details of his illness. After his family released their statement, I realized that he was living with his illness the entire time I knew him,” he wrote. “Because he was a caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity, and pride, he shielded his collaborators from his suffering. He lived a beautiful life. And he made great art.”
Both Kevin Feige and Ryan Coogler confirmed that they will not be recasting the role of T’Challa in the upcoming movie out of respect for the actor.
Kevin Feige, the studio’s chief, said: “I wanted to acknowledge the devastating loss of a dear friend and member of the Marvel Studios family. Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives professionally and personally.”
“His portrayal of T’Challa the Black Panther is iconic and transcends iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel’s past.”
“To honor the legacy that Chad helped us build through his portrayal of the king of Wakanda, we want to continue to explore the world of Wakanda and all of the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film.”
So it seems the new movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will pick up with the same characters we met in the original.
Due to them not recasting Black Panther, we will see the characters mourn the loss of their king.
The trailer was then released for the upcoming movie, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is set to conclude Marvel’s phase 4.
And while fans were thrilled to get a glimpse of the new movie, there’s one thing everyone’s wondering…
Who’s in the suit?
Some think it’s T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), who takes on the role of Black Panther, following on from the comics.
However, others think it could be Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia who steps up for Wakanda.
You can watch the teaser trailer here.
It has been reported that Wakanda Forever will not be released to audiences in China.
It joins the long list of other Marvel movies, such as Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness, and Thor: Love and Thunder that didn’t get the green light to be shown in the country.
The reason for these movies being rejected varies, with some being banned for comments made by those involved who were accused of criticizing China.
And other reasons involved LGBTQIA+ characters being featured, such as Eternals.
The latest Thor movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, was banned due to gay relationships and a character being bisexual.
Wakanda Forever seems to have fallen into the same category.
The movie shows 2 female Wakandan warriors, Aneka and Ayo, who seem to be in a relationship together.
However, Disney has not made any moves to remove LGBT references for it to get approved worldwide.
Though the movie was banned in certain countries…
That didn’t stop it from receiving high ratings.
Early reviews have rated the movie 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
And fans have been eager to see the movie be nominated for multiple awards at the 2023 Oscars…
And there’s one performance, in particular, that has received a lot of attention.
One fan wrote on Twitter: “angela bassett deserves to be the first actor nominated for an oscar for a marvel movie for her work in black panther wakanda forever, my god.”
“Wakanda Forever was a 10/10. A touching tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman and a brilliant love letter to the incredible women of color in the MCU. Give Angela Bassett an Oscar nom for her strong as f*** performance,” a second added.
While a third chimed in, saying the director of the movie should also be recognized for his hard work: “Ryan Coogler deserves an Oscar for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Sequels are really hard to do and especially after your main character actually dies.”
“I saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It is truly an emotional and powerful film. The cast had a powerful performance, especially Angela’s Ramonda, which deserves an Oscar. Namor is truly an amazing villain. I’ll give a 9. A respectful honor to Chadwick Boseman,” a fourth commented.
Have you watched the sequel?