#Spoileralert: Here's why 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' is a spectacular sequel, and a fitting tribute to Chadwick Boseman

Let me put it out there by letting you guys know that I, an avid cinephile, am not as big a Marvel fan as you think I am. I did not get into the theories and speculation before Avengers: Endgame released in 2019. But yes, while I don’t know what a marvellous Marvel movie is, I do know what a good film is. Having being left at the edge of my seat by Thor, Captain America, Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers, I had absolutely no clue about who Black Panther was when I saw Chadwick Boseman utter the iconic rallying call—‘Wakanda Forever’—in the 2018 film. 

The film left a mark on my mind. I loved how the people and the place took equal prominence as the hero, or should I say superhero in this case. It wasn’t a preachy film, but it’s safe to say that it empowered each and every person who’s seen it. And yes, there will only be one Black Panther and that will always be Boseman. He’ll be proud of who the baton has been passed to in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He’ll surely be smiling from above. 

There was only one way the film could have started and that was with the death of King T'Challa (Boseman), and the makers draw a parallel between real and reel by not getting into the reasons behind his death. Having made people look up to him and be inspired, Boseman and the Black Panther, were there one day, gone the other. While those opening moments told us about how unpredictable life is, not for a moment did it not celebrate the actor, and in this case the superhero’s legacy. He’s gone, but he’s certainly not forgotten. And the entire film is about how the people in Wakanda move forward. Big shoes to fill, indeed. 

Just like the first film, the element ‘vibranium’ is of utmost importance here. Everyone outside the kingdom of Wakanda wants it, and wants it bad. More for them means less for others. And some guys just don’t want to share. One of them being the villain Namor, the king of an underwater kingdom named Tālocān, which also happens to be rich with ‘vibranium’ (surprise, surprise Wakanda isn’t the only place that has it). Watching this battle between two cultures, as Namor wants to destroy the ‘surface world’, is fascinating to say the very least. You, at times, feel for the character and his mission. 

Even though it’s an ensemble film, it’s Shuri (Letitia Wright) who stands out among the women. Her character requires her to step up in a really big way and she does so with utmost confidence. The fact that you want to see more of her in the scenes where she isn’t, is testament to how popular her character has become to the Black Panther franchise. A close second is Angela Bassett as Ramonda, the Queen Mother, who is convincing and commanding as the matriarch of the family. I also loved Okoye, the (bald) head of Wakanda’s all-female forces (would absolutely love if she had a spin-off series dedicated to her), and simply couldn’t take my eyes off Nakia (played by the gorgeous Lupita Nyong’o). Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), the MIT prodigy does add a bit of comic relief and it’s tough to ignore the Ironman vibe that her Ironheart costume has (the Ironheart series releases next year, in what is supposed to be a sequel to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). 

Also, a special mention for the film’s background score. "Lift Me Up" by Rihanna, as a tribute to Boseman, will give you gooseflesh when it plays on screen. It’s her first solo in six years and there’s no prize for guessing that it’s worth the wait. Even without Boseman, the film, that’s honest, heartbreaking and packed with action, is all about who steps into his shoes and certainly lives up to his legacy. What I also loved about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the fact that it was made. At no point did the makers didn’t decide to pack up and be done with the superhero after Boseman’s sudden passing, nor did they have another actor to play King T'Challa. 

Just like the post-credit scene (yup, there’s always one in a Marvel film), Chadwick and the Black Panther will always live on. Wakanda Forever!

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is showing in Indian theatres in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.