A Beginner’s Guide To 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'
Updated: Oct 26, 2022
The most anticipated Marvel movie of the year is finally here!
The second Black Panther film has been highly anticipated ever since we fell in love with King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) in 2018. Now, four years later — and two years after Boseman’s death — Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is finally hitting theaters.
This long-awaited sequel has experienced quite a few hiccups while coming to life. Boseman’s unexpected passing caused the film’s team to decide whether they would recast T’Challa or lay him to rest alongside Boseman (they went with the latter). The leading woman Letitia Wright (Shuri) stirred up a little bit of controversy due to her COVID-19 vaccination views. Plus, Wright suffered an injury on set, which set production back two months.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was originally set to open on May 6, 2022, then it was pushed to July 8, then finally November 11 — which is when it will officially hit theaters in the U.S. Because of all the unknowns, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leaves us with a lot of questions. We’ll try to answer the most common questions (and refresh your Wakanda universe knowledge) in our beginner’s guide. But, we all know Marvel always has a surprise up its sleeve.
Who is the Black Panther?
The original Black Panther from the first film was King T’Challa. He was a charismatic king who loved his country, family, and friends. T’Challa joined forces with the Avengers during Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
The Black Panther and King T’Challa are synonymous with one another. However, T’Challa is not the first, and certainly won’t be the last Black Panther.
The Black Panther is a warrior who protects Wakanda, a technologically advanced African nation, and its people. T’Challa took the role from his father, King T’Chaka, who took it from his father, and so on.
However, now that the male bloodline is deceased, we’re not sure who the new Black Panther will be or if there will even be one (although the trailer suggests there will be — and there’s a high chance it’s a female).
How is Marvel Handling Chadwick Boseman’s Death?
The film’s team decided not to recast T’Challa. Instead, they will address the king’s death and the aftermath in Wakanda.
The decision to not recast T’Challa was met with a lot of contention from the fans. A lot of fans thought it was only right to recast him and continue telling T’Challa’s stories — even Boseman’s brother said Boseman would have wanted them to recast his role. However, in the end, Marvel’s team couldn’t see another actor playing T’Challa.
T’Challa will be deceased in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Though we’re not sure how he died.
What Are Black Panther’s Powers?
Black Panther has a high-tech suit that gives him stealth abilities. The suit is made from vibranium, a very strong Wakandan metal that can store and release energy, which allows the Black Panther to store physical blows and redirect them at his enemies.
Additionally, T’Challa was also granted the powers bestowed by Wakanda’s special heart-shaped herb. This gives him enhanced strength, speed, agility, and stamina.
What is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever About?
Because the story had to be reimagined after Boseman’s death, we really don’t know much about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s storyline. The trailer also leaves a lot to the imagination.
The plot synopsis that Marvel gives is essentially that Wakanda has to fight against intervening “world powers” after T’Challa’s death. We’re not sure what or who those world powers are. The trailer suggests that Wakanda may be fighting individuals who live underwater, including Namor the Sub-Mariner.
Namor is the antagonist of this film — telling Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) that Wakanda will fall.
One thing is for certain, this movie is going to be powerful, exciting, and will leave us on the edge of our seats.