Words by Jumana

Warning! Spoilers may be ahead for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

It has been almost four years since Black and African American audiences donned clothing from the land of their ancestors as part of their movie-going experience in 2018 with a rush of emotions in a world where the most recent wave of Black Lives Matter had already begun.

“You will not be able to stay home, brother

You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out

The revolution will not be televised”

~ Part of the soundtrack for Black Panther from Song by Gil Scott-Heron 1971. It reflects the Civil rights movement protests of the time~

Instead of the usual dark and bulky jackets and coats of springtime, movie goers added a pop of lively color and beautiful geometry to theaters in traditional bright dashikis and mesmerizing Kente patterns that have ties to West Africa. With a fantastic soundtrack and powerful messaging, not only did the film end up being a cultural phenomenon, but the actors that helped bring it to life were thrust into the spotlight.

“We all know the truth: More connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis, the wise build bridges while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another, as if we were one single tribe”.

~ King T’Challa’s strong message at the end of Black Panther 2018 ~

It came as a shock to the entire world then when it was announced that Chadwick Boseman who played King T’Challa had passed away on 28 August 2020 after battling cancer since 2016. After the news circuoated that no one other than his immediate family knew about the star’s silent struggle, speculations began regarding the second installment of Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Director Ryan Coogler scratched the original script for Black Panther 2 and began molding what would be a powerful reflection of loss, grief and the weight and strength of our choices.

November 2022 came and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiered, with much to say in its three hour run time. The film opened with Leticia Wright’s Shuri frantically mobilizing all within her power to save her brother. T’Challa’s death in the film is explored in quiet yet refreshing beauty and Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) speaks of how grief can also help us stay close to the departed. Shuri on the ither hand is quietly burning with the creeping anger that accompanies grief much of the time and says that it won’t be the funeral clothes she will burn (a Wakandan custom), but “it will be the world and everyone in it”.

With Chadwick Boseman never far from the minds of viewers- and definitely the cast, the film explores the dangers of lettijg grief transform into anger. Shuri attempts to speak to the other side in the film  hoping to see her brother. Who she faces instead is Killmonger who attempts to provoke her into immediate action that may not be the best. In a world grieving lost time, loved ones, finances and life as we knew it, after the gulmness of the oandemic, the theme of grief surely resonated.

“Vengeance has consumed us. We cannot let it consume our people.”

~Shuri, Wakanda Forever~

On the other side of the same coin, it also ventures into the rarely talked about aspect of colonialism with the film’s main antagonist Namor – Forced displacement and survival. To sum up, Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) and his people were forced under the waves. What Marvel does so brilliantly of course, is make us interested in ‘the villain’. While Namor could have been a one-track minded simple ‘bad guy’, the film explores his wisdom and reasoning, showing a character who is powerful for the sake of his people.

“How is never as important as Why”

~Namor showing that he is a thoughtful leader with these few words~

While certain movie reviewers called Namor’s flashback ‘rushed’ and said they didn’t have enough time to marinate with his pain, Latinos, Blacks, Asians.. anyone who has/is undergone colonization and faced the effects of cultural and identity genocide felt that same pain to their core. Namor was originally known as K’uk’ulkan, and changed it to Namor after a conquering Spaniard called him “El Niño Sin Amor” (child without love). His grief and rage has solidified to the point where his entire identity to the outside world is built upon the words of an enemy. Many revealed in the powerful representations of Mayan and Aztec culture within the film, reminding the world that these are not a culture that is long gone, but still very present and alive.

Wakanda Forever succesfully takes the viewer on a funny, sarcastic film with gracefully precise and beautiful fight scenes and strong messaging. All this and more with the backdrop of feeling cathartic after those three hours after a year of navigating love loss and the new normal may be just some of the reasons why it is still so very hard to get tickets to see the film. The film stays with you long after you leave the theater.