The reviews for the highly anticipated MCU sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are now in. So, is the sequel a worthy successor to its critically acclaimed predecessor? And how well does the follow-up tackle the grief and loss at its center following the tragic death of star Chadwick Boseman? We begin with our own Julian Roman, who praises Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for its mature approach and even declares it a reshaping of the franchise.
Kevin Harley of Total Film echoes many of these sentiments, awarding Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a 4/5.
“Ryan Coogler achieves remarkable feats with a powerfully emotional sequel that reshapes a blockbuster franchise. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stands as the most mature and thoughtful film in the MCU.”
The praise continues courtesy of CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenber, who gives the Black Panther sequel a hugely impressive score of 4.5/5 and applauds the MCU outing for its approach to the real-life passing of Chadwick Boseman.
“Between a fallen king and a rising threat, Marvel’s cinematic Phase 4 ends on a tender and – mostly - triumphant high.”
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Johnny Oleksinski of The New York Post gives Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a perfect 4/4 saying, “Wakanda Forever solidifies Black Panther as Marvel’s richest and most high-quality franchise.” While Britany Murphy of DiscussingFilm awards another 4/5 and says, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will have you thinking about the many shapes that grief can take, and it comes at you from all fronts.”
“As a goodbye to Chadwick Boseman and T’Challa, it’s a special achievement. The movie makes the smart decision not to turn the Black Panther’s death into a plot line about succession or political destabilization, which easily could have felt exploitative. Instead, the hard emotions from the loss are primarily expressed through the arcs of the principal characters, and the individual journeys are extraordinary.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Will Hit Theaters on November 11
Marvel Studios
Unfortunately, some critics have felt that something is missing from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, namely; Chadwick Boseman and his character, T’Challa. Entertainment Weekly’s Leah Greenblatt gives the movie a B+, though did still conclude that the Marvel sequel is still well worth seeing.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety also feels that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever does not live up to what came before, but still had a lot of good things to say about the return to Wakanda.
“While a Black Panther without Boseman is undoubtedly nothing like the film’s creators or any of its cast wanted it to be, the movie they’ve made feels like something unusually elegant and profound for the multiplex.”
TheWrap’s Alonso Duralde was not wholly satisfied with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever saying, “There’s a great deal to enjoy here, and fans of “Black Panther” won’t necessarily leave feeling disappointed, but there’s a sense of strong elements not quite coming together.” Peter Bradshaw of The Guardians meanwhile feels that “grief shadows” the sequel adding, “But I felt that there was a constraint at work, an understandable constraint given that the film is to some degree about grief and loss, but one which Wakanda Forever had not quite found a way of developing and absorbing.”
“The movie doesn’t have the classic comic-book pow of Black Panther, and it’s easily 20 minutes too long. Yet Wakanda Forever has a slow-burn emotional suspense. Once the film starts to gather steam, it doesn’t let up.”
Of course, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and its depiction of grief and loss works extremely well for others, with Comicbookmovie.com’s Mark Cassidy awarding the movie a perfect 5/5.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released on November 11, 2022, as the final installment in Phase Four of the MCU.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the best sequel we could have hoped for without Chadwick Boseman. Ryan Coogler has built a respectful, mature, beautiful monument to his friend and T’Challa, whose legacy is in the safe hands of a worthy successor.”
