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Black Panther was the first successful movie in the franchise that put forward a difficult task for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever creators to not only build upon the previous movie but also to deliver something more. While the creators have surely delivered the sequel as to how Marvel fans had expected it, there might have been some places where the movie felt "meh" to the viewers.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the latest movie in Marvel Phase 4 and introduces many new characters to the MCU while also exploring the previous ones' roles in the same universe. On that note, let us analyze what the film manages to deliver and where it dwindles.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Black Panther movie franchise.
The geopolitical conflict, costume designs, and 3 other things Black Panther: Wakanda Forever aces at
1) The world building
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is not only about Wakandan citizens and the royal family but also about other new Marvel characters. One of the best things about the film is the introduction of Namor.
That being said, it is the world that Marvel has brought forward with the mystical Aztec afterlife city of Tlalocan, the Talokan kingdom. Throughout Black Panther 2, viewers are greeted with the fictional kingdom of Talokan and get a glimpse at Namor's people and their history. Furthermore, with elements from the Aztec culture and the Spanish Conquest of Mexico, the movie introduces the world of the Sub-Mariner delightfully.
2) Nails the costume design
For most movies, viewers can easily skip appreciating the costume design as it is often considered an unimportant task of filmmaking. However, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever doesn't let you forget the costume design that easily.
Thanks to Ruth E. Carter's costume design, the first Black Panther movie was a feast for the eyes. Carter's work in the first movie made her the first woman of color to win an Oscar for Best Costume Design.
With the bar set that high, Black Panther 2 does an outstanding job with the costumes of not only the Wakandans but also the Talokanils. The Mesoamerican-inspired jewelry and outfits do a brilliant job of bringing more focus to the two kingdoms shown in the sequel.
3) A new Black Panther
After the first film's success, fans were keenly waiting for T'Challa to return in another Black Panther movie. However, Chadwick Boseman's untimely demise and Marvel Studios' decision not to cast a new King T'Challa left many fans concerned.
Meanwhile, to create a Black Panther movie, someone had to take up the mantle. With Killmonger burning away every one of the Heart-Shaped Herbs that gives a person the powers of Wakanda's protector, there was little to look up to.
However, Marvel Studios have brilliantly plotted for Shuri to take up the mantle of Wakanda's protector in the sequel. The plot sits well with the superhero's background as well. Since the inception of Black Panther, the mantle has only been taken up by members of the royal family. With Shuri being the princess of Wakanda, her new role as Black Panther makes sense.
4) The geopolitical conflict
From Spanish conquistadors to world politics, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever brings freshness and a new perspective to the two Marvel Characters, Namor and the titular superhero.
Moreover, the decision to portray Namor as Mesoamerican also allows the creators to play cleverly into the plot. Midway through the movie, we learn how Namor got his powers and how his people transformed into the sea-dwelling creatures they are now. The transformation happened as a result of the experimental cure for smallpox brought by the Spanish invaders.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever doesn't shy away from bringing in centuries-old discrimination and a thirst for power. The movie neatly assimilates the plot of the American researchers mining for vibranium at sea and the CIA wanting to utilize Wakanda's turmoil to their advantage.
5) A new & different Namor
One of Marvel's first comic book characters, it was due time for Namor to come to the big screen. However, the creators not only managed to bring him to the MCU splendidly but also redesigned the character.
The MCU's Namor is different from that of Marvel Comics in various ways, much of which we can see on screen. However, the most prominent difference is the world that the Sub-Mariner belongs to.
The version of Namor that Bill Everett created back in 1939 for Marvel Comics was white. As for MCU's Namor, the creators decided to go with a different approach as they changed his looks and his origin story to give the character more depth and show a new perspective on his history.
The movie's lengthy runtime and 4 other things that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever struggles with
1) Sidelined Okoye
Okoye is one of the main characters of the entire Black Panther series. However, at times, the sequel film feels like it's sidelining Okoye's character, especially in the second half.
She played a major role in the first Black Panther. As the leader of Dora Milage, the character, at times, fell at par with T'Challa. Her shining moment comes in the first film when Killmonger usurps the throne, and Okoye is left to choose between her duty and her friend.
In Black Panther 2, her character takes a lot of heat, and she is sometimes embarrassed for not being more feminine. Even so, it is when Queen Ramonda blames Okoye for the abduction of Shuri and Riri and makes her resign that the character is truly forgotten for a while.
2) Could've done more with Attuma's character
With the number of characters the Black Panther franchise has displayed on the big screen, it's not always feasible for the creators to shine a light on all of them. However, in the case of Attuma, the recent entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe failed to deliver everything his character had to offer.
In Marvel Comics, Attuma is typically shown as an enemy of Namor. Over the years, we've seen the Sub-Mariner battling off the nomadic warlord Attuma. That being said, since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has already crammed so many story elements into one movie, it is probably for the best that the creators decided to modify Attuma's character for the time being.
3) The movie's runtime
Standing at a record-breaking time of 2 hours and 41 minutes, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the second-longest MCU movie to date. The film stands just behind Avengers: Endgame, which has a runtime of 3 hours and 2 minutes.
What makes Black Panther: Wakanda Forever one of the longest MCU films is that the film introduces many new characters. In addition to the new characters, the movie deals with Chadwick Boseman's death, setting up the funeral and introducing the new Black Panther, Ironheart, and Namor with his fellow Talokanils. This is one of the reasons why the massive runtime takes a hit on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's rewatchability.
4) Failed to provide a good view of the Talokan
The first Black Panther movie was a treat to the eye because of Rachel Morrison's take on Wakanda with its natural lighting and rich contrasts. Coming to the movie's sequel, the new Director of Photography, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, is known for the hazy and dreamlike aesthetics as seen in Palo Alto and Loki.
However, her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has rendered the latest MCU movie dull and painful for viewers to interpret, especially the underwater scenes as it introduces MCU fans to the new kingdom of Talokan. If we look at the previous Black Panther, the movie did a great job of introducing the nation of Wakanda. The afrofuturistic concept with highly advanced technology owing to huge quantities of vibranium.
With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the creators could've done the same with Talokan. A highly advanced Mesoamerican-inspired civilization infused with tech made with the help of vibranium. However, the film failed to showcase the art and underwater world of Talokanil, which could've been one of the major highlights of the franchise.
5) The sluggish CGI
Much of the flat CGI of recent Marvel movies can be owed to the strained visual effects studio that has been in a stale state since 2021 with the influx of Marvel content on the small and the big screen.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has times when CGI truly captivates the viewers. However, the moments are short-lived and not well-placed throughout the movie. For example, the car chase scene around the MIT campus is one of the best action sequences in the whole movie, but it struggles to deliver the intensity of the scene.
With all the points that separate the sequel movie from 2018's Black Panther, the movie is both fun to watch and a drag at the same time. The creators tried to cram up the movie with many elements that led to a lengthy runtime. However, the film also did justice to Chadwick Boseman's memory.
