Farewell to a King: Wakanda Forever

“Only the most broken people can be great leaders.”

— King Namor of Talokan

At the time of this writing, I have watched “Wakanda Forever” three and a half times.

Yes. I know. Doesn’t make sense.

Why not three? Why not four?

The reason is because on the first viewing, I walked out. The movie felt too long, too empty and too full at the same time.

Then I decided to give it another chance.

After watching it again, I realized that to appreciate Wakanda Forever I had to look at it through two lens.

Lens One: A Lamentation.

Lens Two: Cinematic Evaluation.

I walked into the film with Lens One goggles firmly in place. Heavy with sadness and full of questions because of the loss of Chadwick Boseman before I even sat in my seat.

How would they make this work? How would they incorporate his absence? Is Shuri really going to be Panther? Will it be someone else?

In my first half watch, it felt like when Michael Jordan left the Chicago Bulls and journey Pete Myers started in his place. The setting looked the same, the pagentry was there, but the planet at the center of the universe was far gone. While Jordan returned to become the NBA’s basketball King once again, the King T’Challa played by Chadwick Boseman would not.

So I left the theater angry and frustrated at what I believed was a movie unworthy of Chadwick’s legacy. I sent voice memos to people in my network complaining about how bad Black Panther 2 was, and didn’t quite measure up. But then I sat with it.

In the words of Martin from the 90’s, I “let it marinate”.

Then I slowly, very slowly reconsidered my stance. I thought about how shaken I was as a Black man, Marvel enthusiast, and movie geek at the loss of this tremendous thespian. He was this generation’s Denzel, Sidney Pottier, Robert De Niro, and gone far too soon. I reflected on this loss and my emotional response to it.

Then I thought about all the writers, actors and actresses, director Ryan Coogler, the costume and set designers, editors, camera people, the stunt doubles and the like who worked with Chadwick Boseman. So, so many of them. I thought about their grief. Their sadness. That they didn’t just lose a talented actor, a co-worker, or African American icon, they lost their friend. I imagined how difficult it had to be for them. After Chadwick’s passing, they took a break, rewrote the entire movie, and went back to work. But they aren’t just artists, they are human beings. Humans who hurt, who feel, and were right in the blast zone of this seismic loss.

Upon this reflection, I don’t think that there is a director on the globe that could have pulled this off with the challenges and adversity by any of name than Ryan Coogler.

With that prologue out of the way, I will share my thoughts through both lenses.

Lens One: A Tribute to Chadwick Boseman.

As a tribute, this movie is absolutely excellent and couldn’t have been done any better. The incorporation of real life in the story, the utilization of Chadwick’s words (“To be young, gifted, and Black” spoken by RiRi Williams) the subtle and not so subtle nods to his life and legacy were touching, moving, and emotional. The beginning, the funeral procession, Marvel title sequence, the ending...brought tears to my eyes. Everyone who worked on “Wakanda Forever” should be very, very proud.

Lens Two: A Black Panther Sequel

Angela Basset as Queen Ramonda in all her regality, and Tenoch Huerta as Namor especially stood out. The Queen’s leadership, weighted with pain framed the story’s begining so incredibly well. I got chills when she declares:

“I am the Queen of the most powerful nation in the world and my entire family is gone! Have I not given everything!!?”

When she sacrificed herself to save Riri in her final act as Queen Mother, I was stunned.

Namor’s intensity jumped off the screen from the moment he strode from the waters of Wakanda. Okeye and Nakia were great, and the Killmonger surprise appearance was awesome. The dig into Meso American culture and the impact of colonialism in both history and the present day was outstanding. The warriors of Talokan, particularly Namora and Attuma were fearsome. A wisened M’Baku was refreshing. The recasting of T’Challa without recasting T’Challa with the introduction of Toussaint/Prince T’Challa was beautiful.

While I was unsure if Leticia Wright’s Shuri would work as Panther, when she finally claimed the mantle it felt authentically earned and not awkwardly forced. When the story stayed focused on Wakanda, Talokan, and two nations struggling with other and the outside world, it mostly works.

When the story includes more “Marvel-y” and Disney + elements it quickly loses mometum. You could have removed Riri Williams and Valentina Allegra De Fontaine and nothing would have been lost. While there are inconsistencies and plot holes (how does Shuri survive a spear that goes through her body in this movie, when Killmonger didn’t survive a dagger in the chest in the last one?), and it is far from perfect (why do Okeye and Aneka wait to show up in their armored suits well after the final battle has commenced?), I think it works.

And when Shuri weeps on the beach while Rihanna sings and we get one last T’Challa King of Wakanda montage, we weep too.

Farewell King T’Challa.

Farewell Mr. Boseman.

We will miss you.