The first reviews are out now for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and it's sounding like it's everything that fans had hoped for following the tragic loss of actor Chadwick Boseman.
Boseman, who passed away in 2020, became an icon for his portrayal of Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his death rocked his fellow actors who bore the honour to carry on his legacy in the next movie without recasting the character. "You come across some people in life that possess an immortal energy, that seem like they have existed before, that are exactly where they are supposed to always be - here!" said Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Nakia, in her tribute to Boseman.
Last night, the world premiere for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been met with a warm welcome. Critics have been blown away by the intimate yet cathartic tone of the movie, centring on the gravity of the deaths of T'Challa and Boseman, as well as emotionally strong performances from Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright and Danai Gurira.
Rotten Tomatoes' Orlando Maldonado described Wakanda Forever as a significant departure from the standard MCU outings, "[handling] loss, grief and revenge with a maturity and seriousness rarely seen" in the series. Dorian Parks and Kevin McCarthy denoted the performances of cast members Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett as a crucial key in the emotional gravitas of the story, and Tenoch Huerta delivered as the villainous Namor. All in all, it's an incredible level of praise for the movie, and with statements like these, there's a lot to look forward to in the final entry for Phase Four.
