In case you didn’t notice, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now in theaters. It’s the much-anticipated sequel to the groundbreaking MCU film Black Panther in 2018.

People were looking forward to this movie for many reasons. Chief among them, how will it handle the passing of lead star Chadwick Boseman. Boseman is played T’Challa/Black Panther but passed away in 2020 after silently battling cancer. The film also has the unenviable task of closing the chapter on Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) which many feel has been underwhelming.

Here, two of our team members discuss the film with some spoilers so this is your OFFICIAL SPOILER WARNING. If you haven’t seen the film, we suggest you just bookmark this for now and come back after watching it.

Initial thoughts on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Levi: Disappointment might have filled Marvel fans throughout Phase 4, with one underwhelming film after the other. It was only fitting that the MCU capped this phase with a masterpiece. One that sets up everyone for Phases 5 and 6 while reigniting their excitement for what’s about to unfold.

Rodneil: Hmm… not quite sure I share the “disappointment” but I do recognize. I honestly feel like the MCU has become what Iron Man is to that universe. Harking back to what Happy told Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far From Home, “Not even Tony could live up to, Tony.”

I acknowledge that not every show or movie has been strong, but I am personally not as disappointed as the general sentiment is. And Black Panther: Wakanda Forever closes Phase 4 in the most appropriate way which is bittersweet. 

Thoughts on Namor?

Levi: It had all the elements of a cinematic marvel (pun intended), from how Ryan Coogler chose to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman by having the Wakandans offer a ceremonial burial to his titular role. At the same time, the ending also struck as what traditional critics call as an “unending” type. Again, quite fitting as there is just more to come from the MCU in the immediate future. 

I am just relieved that Namor and his people are here to stay for what is possibly a mega-collaboration with Wakanda. It was alarming considering MCU’s sometimes penchant for expendable villains (See: Kilmonger). That kind of threw me back to the events of Avengers: Infinity War in terms of how vital the role Wakanda played, so it is intriguing what this partnership will have for the eventual Secret Wars phase, as teased towards the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

Rodneil: Agreed. There was a moment in the film when I genuinely thought he was gonna be a one-off character. But I knew in the back of my head that they weren’t gonna get rid of him just like that. 

But hold on, aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves? What did you think of Namor as the primary antagonist? 

A nuanced character

Levi: I was about to get there! I think Namor adds another layer to the movie as he acts more of an anti-hero, where he is neither the protagonist nor antagonist. Obviously, one can only speculate based on comics as to what he will really be, but as we all know, the MCU is a different animal. That’s a treatment we will definitely wait for, given how this film has set up the existing timeline.

Rodneil: I think he was very much the antagonist of the film. In the comics, he flips-flops between hero and villain. But his motivations have always been clear. He does everything he does for the sake of protecting his people. And that much is true for this film. He fights alongside whoever his motivations align with the most. Namor is refreshing because he is a very nuanced character, and that’s something we need to see more of in mainstream films, especially the MCU. 

The backstory that the film gives him, as well as that sequence in the middle of the film he spent with Shuri perfectly solidified what kind of character he is. Now that we’ve spoken about the antagonist. Let’s switch to the other side, what did you think of Shuri?

Shuri and her character’s journey

Levi: Before I get to Shuri, yes, that is one great way of putting it. He operates on his own terms, which will again be crucial once we get to the latter stages of the MCU and the gigantic war that is brewing. In the first place, this movie also refreshingly brought us back to the surface – which we are just scratching – after spending time in multiverses the second Doctor Strange film as well as Spider-Man: No Way Home and across different dimensions – to align things looking ahead.

Anyway, Shuri was tremendous in leading Wakanda in the aftermath of T’Challa’s death. It was all worthy successor vibes for me. Obviously, if you have been following Marvel closely, it was only a matter of time before she finally dawned that Black Panther suit. But then again, it’s like she channeled her smarts in the lab to being representative of the entire Wakandan race through combat, doing so in such an emotional yet powerful manner which was just as energizing for all of us as she led everyone in the next chapter of her nation.

War and its consequences

Rodneil: Funny how you said it “brought us back to the surface.” Because, indeed, we have been dealing with the multiverse, magic, and cosmic things that tackling the very real feud between nations feels a lot more grounded despite the stakes still being really high. That’s actually one theme that I liked – how war isn’t romanticized. It’s portrayed as this horrifying thing where no one actually wins. And we need more of that idea being spread in as many media as possible. 

Shuri was solid in this film. I loved her character arc. It all felt very real, especially all that rage. She was dealing with loss, pain, grief, and anger all at the same time and it dictated a lot of her actions. It was very compelling and was presented expertly all the way from when Namor finally attacked Wakanda up to the third act battle. 

Levi: Speaking of wars, part of me initially thought there would be three players to the party with America threatening to wage war with Wakanda after their Vibranium detector got destroyed. I’m glad the overall direction of the movie focused on Namor and his Atlanteans, pinned against Black Panther and Wakanda.

What’s next for the MCU?

Levi: As mentioned earlier, it was terrific that they were able to introduce a new character who is not one and done, and an entire race to go along with it. And its aftermath with the two sides basically calling a truce to focus on an even more important matter in the future is kind of how you expected the MCU to close this chapter. We can’t get ahead of ourselves that much, but depending on how the first few movies in Phase 5 fair, we are probably getting a promising build up for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Rodneil: Oh that whole America thing and Valentina being there is most certainly a set-up for the announced and upcoming film Thunderbolts. But I’ll save that discussion for another time. 

Speaking of build-up, while Phase 4 does feel clunky and disconnected at first, I still very much think everything is leading up to somewhere. It just wasn’t as apparent as Thanos and the Infinity stones. There were just more characters, more universes, and more elements to introduce. As someone who’s familiar with how convoluted the comic books can get, we’re still getting only a mild dose. 

On that note, this is getting a bit long, so let’s jump right into your final overarching thoughts on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

Final thoughts on Wakanda Forever

Levi: You are definitely the more immersed Marvel guy between us two, but perhaps from a casual’s perspective, it was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s ability to connect them back to the overall scheme of things MCU-wise that made it such a refresher, again, owing to the perceived “disconnect” from some of the other films in Phase 4 that perhaps at one point made them go “What is going on?”. That said, again, what a way to punctuate this phase and set us all up for the next two. Excited is an understatement. Also, we have Disney+ in the Philippines now to get us reacquainted with the storylines, so there’s that.

Rodneil: We’re just pretty much echoing each other at this point, but I agree, this is the best way to close a phase. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a brilliant story. As a film, it had such a big responsibility. It had to deal with the passing of Chadwick Boseman all while moving the plot forward for the MCU. At the same time, it still felt like a self-contained movie instead of just another forgettable chapter. 

There are so many themes and emotions tackled here. There’s pain, loss, the cost of war, the consequence of revenge, and many more. All of it was handled and presented expertly. It’s easily the best film Phase 4 and gives us hope of better things to come for the MCU.