Director: Ryan Coogler

Music by: Ludwig Goransson

Release Date: Nov. 11, 2022

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Starring: Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa/Black Panther), Tenoch Tuerta (Namor), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Michael B. Jordan (Erick Killmonger), Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams), Angela Bassett (Queen Ramonda) and more.

Our Rating: B+

At last, Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has reached a point of no return with its newest film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. Tapping into the death of renowned actor Chadwick Boseman, the MCU’s latest hit serves as an emotional tribute to the original Black Panther. Additionally, the film throws new surprises at the audience with plot twists and unexpected settings.

The film’s partly focuses on how T’Challa’s untimely death affects his younger sister, Shuri. Filled with flashbacks to T’Challa’s reign over the fictional African city of Wakanda, highlights Shuri’s feelings of remorse. However, in the midst of this personal crisis, a greater crisis emerges as vibranium, a rare metal native to the African nation, is becoming available for other countries to invest in weapons.

Giving life to the 2023 Disney Plus television show “Ironheart”, the film introduces key characters that resonate with Marvel’s younger audience. A 19-year-old at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Riri Williams formulates the only machine capable of detecting vibranium in underwater deposits. The director, Ryan Coogler, includes a message of female empowerment with Riri Williams and Queen Ramonda of Wakanda.

“I would not have changed the plot because the directors put everything that [must] happen for the [Marvel] universe to continue smoothly as well as character development. The Black Panther is top 3 and lives up to the stage that the first movie originally created,” junior Emmanuel Lopez said.

From intense action scenes to subaqueous warriors, “Wakanda Forever” surrounds the multiverse that is explored throughout Phase 4 of the MCU. Unlike previous Marvel adventures, viewers are introduced to unchartered domains that even extend to the deepest oceans, specifically, the underwater realm of Talokan which the mystical sea god, Namor, founded.

Compared to “Black Panther” (2018), the struggle for resources is more evident in the MCU’s latest project. The ongoing thirst for vibranium elevates the film to appear life-like and reflects political disputes in modern-day society. More specifically, the passive-aggressiveness between Queen Ramonda, Shuri’s mother, and Namor which eventually turns into war keeps viewers on their feet.

“Black Panther ranks really high in my book. The director definitely succeeded with [the movie] because it added to the story line of the movie. My reaction to the [underwater] city was peculiar because I definitely made connections between both cities. It got confusing at times…but it did live up to the hype,” sophomore Salvatore Casciola said.

A debate has emerged about whether or not “Wakanda Forever” has an overstuffed plot. Although several scenes are labeled unnecessary, movie-makers had little sense of direction following the tragic loss of Chadick Boseman. The quickly-developing action left some questions unanswered but added to the excessive amount of conflict that characterizes Marvel.

Overall, the emotional response to Chadick Boseman’s passing is evident throughout the MCU’s latest sequel. Even without the human element, “Wakanda Forever” met all expectations.