What Are the Initial Reactions to ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’?
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the long-awaited sequel to 2018’s Black Panther, was officially released on November 11. The production of the movie was delayed for a while following the death of star Chadwick Boseman, but was the studio able to make a movie worthy of the Black Panther name without him? Read on below to find out.
Missing Chadwick Boseman
Naturally, the sentiment expressed the most by viewers of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever seems to be of missing actor Chadwick Boseman, who starred in the original movie. Boseman, who played King T’Challa, Black Panther himself, passed away from colon cancer in 2020, two years after the release of Black Panther. Chadwick was a beloved member of the MCU, and since he kept his cancer secret, his passing was a surprise to everyone.
Critic reviews
The original Black Panther movie was a huge hit among critics and remains the highest-rated Marvel Studios film of all time, at least according to review aggregator Metacritic. Critics gave the original film a rating of 88 out of 100, calling it “joyfully groundbreaking” and “nothing short of exhilarating.”
While the new movie has received passable scores from critics, it’s clearly not appreciated as much as the first one. Wakanda Forever received an average score of 67 out of 100 from critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews.” Critics said the 161-minute film had difficulty with pacing and seemed to have too much going on all at once. Most critics, however, did recognize the difficulty of making a second Black Panther movie with the absence of Boseman.
Fan ratings
Fans seemed to have similar thoughts to critics when it comes to Wakanda Forever, and most of them rated it lower than the previous one. The original movie received an average score of 6.3 out of 10 from fans, while the sequel has a 5.8 out of 10 so far. While Black Panther was hailed as a unique film that broke away from used-up Marvel tropes, many fans feel like this sequel slipped back in that direction.
The feedback wasn’t all negative, however, and many fans felt like the film was a touching tribute to Boseman. One reviewer called it an “absolutely beautiful and perfect tribute.” Many reviewers also praised actor Tenoch Huerta who played Namor, an anti-hero who’s new to the franchise.
How could ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ shape the MCU?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever isn’t just a Black Panther sequel – it’s an important part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that could be a great predictor for things to come. The new movie introduced several new characters and ideas that could be major factors in future MCU films, including 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and 2026’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
Without too many spoilers, Wakanda Forever brings up interesting new information about the properties of vibranium and where it can be found. The film sets up some interesting potential relationships between Wakanda and other nations that are seeking vibranium, which could lead to any number of global conflicts and plots for future MCU films.