Wakanda Forever (2022)

It is fascinating to see how the Black Panther storyline has been adjusted in the wake of its star's untimely death. The themes from the first film that were predicted going forward (the dangers of vibranium) do indeed come into play. However, the main theme of the film ends up playing into the overarching theme of phase four even more powerfully than they likely planned.

Phase Four of the MCU has certainly been a “back-to-the-drawing-board” phase. Just like Phase One, it has served to set up a lot of new characters and scenarios. However, coming on the heels of Endgame, it has also bee about how we process loss. It is all about grief.

Wakanda Forever is all about grief. The grief of the loss of T’Challa. The grief of Namor. The grief of the way that the world has changed. The grief at the realization that what nations have meant to represent has been corrupted. Shuri’s entire story is all about facing the many losses she has experienced and not letting it change her at her core.

Like the first film, it ends in a less-than-convincing “Phantom Menace” style action set piece. However, the real gem to take away from this film is the drama of the character study.