MCU Fans, it is time to suit up with Vibranium, cross your arms and shout 'Wakanda Forever' because black Panther 2 has just hit the screens worldwide yesterday, November 11.
Black Panther 1, starring Chadwick Boseman, was released in 2018 and he was the first-ever black superhero. The movie also broke all records at the time and was the first-ever Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie to be nominated for 'Best Picture' at the Oscars. The movie is still the highest-rated Marvel movie because of the gender and race-aware casting and costumes, and not to forget the most stunning CGI work. This was also the first Marvel movie directed by a black director, Ryan Coogler, with a black lead cast and a number of black women in powerful roles.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The second movie was made after the sad demise of Chadwick Boseman, the lead in the preceding movie. In the first movie, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) takes the throne as the king of Wakanda. After becoming king, T'Challa plays a predominant role in the fight against Thanos in both Avengers Infinity Wars and Avengers Endgame. Wakanda Forever follows the death of T'Challa and revolves around his sister Shuri (played by Letitia Wright). The movie is expected to be an emotional action-packed film with the trauma of losing a loved one.
Who is Chadwick Boseman?
Chadwick Boseman was an American actor who, besides the MCU, has starred in movies like 21 Bridges, Get On Up (as the legendary James Brown), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and many other critically-acclaimed films. He was also a producer. He received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, among other accolades. He was also nominated for an Academy Award. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2018, which he kept private from everyone, including the cast and crew of Avengers Endgame during filming. He passed away on August 28, 2020, at the age of 43 which came as a shock to fans and peers alike. He is also known for his simplicity and philanthropy. He supported numerous charities supporting people who were battling cancer.
Is this film a tribute to the “first-ever black superhero”?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an MCU film that is entirely a tribute to the late hero. The role he played as T’Challa in 2018 was an inspiration to millions and after his demise in 2020, fans questioned how the MCU was going to move forward with his role. It's not possible to imagine anyone else playing the role of T’Challa but we guarantee you that the storytellers didn't go wrong with the next Black Panther!
How are themes like feminism and diversity explored in the film?
This is the first time in the history of the MCU that Marvel has replaced two strong male leads with black women. Although Marvel has explored female leads with movies like Black Widow, with Scarlett Johansson, it took over ten years for Natasha Romanoff to get her solo film. The trailer of Black Panther 2 alone is enough to showcase how the movie is significantly centred around the minority group, while empowering women of colour. While there was so much diversity involved in this first Black Panther movie, and the strengths of Shuri, Okoye (played by Danai Gurira) and Queen Ramonda (played by Angela Bassett) were explored, in this sequel, they are shown manifesting their full potential.
Is Black Panther likely to become a trilogy in the near future?
The MCU is currently building phase four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with superheroes liks Spider-Man, Scarlett Witch, Doctor Strange, America Chavez, Chang-Shi, Ms Marvel, Loki and so on. Although Marvel has not officially announced a Black Panther 3 yet, the end credits of the movie “Wakanda Will Return” has led fans to believe that might soon be a third movie.
