Is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a worthy successor to the throne? Reactions to the Marvel Studios sequel flooded social media following the Black Panther 2 world premiere Wednesday, where attendees were the first to witness filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s return to the kingdom of Wakanda. In the wake of King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) death and the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, the African nation mourns their monarch as a new threat surfaces: the mutant Namor the Sub-Mariner (Tenoch Huerta). How was the Black Panther sequel received? Judging by the social media response, early viewers seem to agree: Wakanda Forever will long live as another jewel in Marvel’s crown.
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Charles Pulliam (The Verge): “#WakandaForever’s bigger in scope and scale than #BlackPanther, but its story is also one of Marvel’s most intimate and heartfelt. It’s definitely a Comic Book Movie, but it’s one that centers grief and the grieving process rather than superheroics and spectacle.”
Fico Cangiano (CineXPress): “#WakandaForever is fantastic! Coogler delivers a soulful, wondrous sequel that packs an emotional punch & effectively explores relevant world themes. A beautiful tribute to Boseman’s legacy. Letitia & Tenoch are great, & the mid-credits scene is really moving.”
Samuel Leggett Jr (Critics Choice): “#WakandaForever is easily the best Marvel film since Avengers: Endgame. The scope, the camera work, the acting, and the raw emotions on and off screen can be felt throughout! This is the Marvel I’ve missed! I had one word in my heart all night; “WOW…’”
Kevin McCarthy (ReelBlend): “WAKANDA FOREVER is a beautifully cathartic tribute to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman. Reminds us of his monumental impact & that he’s truly still here with us. Great performances from Gurira, Bassett, Wright & Thorne. Huerta was INCREDIBLE. Loved Rihanna’s song & Ludwig’s score.”
Ashley Saunders (ComicBookResources): “WAKANDA FOREVER honors Chadwick & T’Challa. It’s EMOTIONAL, POWERFUL, & BEAUTIFUL. Tenoch is brilliant, immediately grabbing your attention. Welcome to the MCU Namor. Riri is fun w/ Peter Parker like energy. Action, Phase 4 tie-ins, & some surprises. Loved it.”
Travis Hopson (Punch Drunk Critics): “#WakandaForever is exactly the cathartic experience I hoped it would be, helping us move past our grief while watching the Wakandans fight to do the same. The intro of Namor was incredible, the story bittersweet and packed with emotionally charged twists.”
Ryden Scarnato (Heroic Hollywood): “#BlackPantherWakandaForever is a powerful film and a great tribute to Chadwick Boseman. There’s never been a CBM like it. Really strong performances all around too. Namor’s motivations were a little weak and I felt the runtime, but it’s still towards the top of Phase 4 for me.”
Sean O’Connell (CinemaBlend): “Ryan Coogler’s #BlackPantherWakandaForever, above all else, is cathartic. An emotional movie about loss, legacy and healing. The story is intimate, but vast with global power struggles and palace intrigue. Tenoch Huerta’s Namor is a FORCE, better than I hoped. So much to discuss.”
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
Wakanda may be without its king, but not without its protector: another character takes up the mantle of the new Black Panther to stop Namor from waging war against the surface world. Along with Huerta’s aquatic antagonist, the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands with the introduction of armored hero Ironheart (Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams), Wakandan warrior Aneka (Michaela Coel) of the Dora Milaje, and Talocan inhabitants Namora and Attuma (Mabel Cadena and Alex Livanalli).
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review Embargo
The first full Black Panther 2 reviews are under embargo until Tuesday, November 8th. The embargo will lift at 9 am PT.
Black Panther Double Feature
Tickets are now on sale for the Black Panther double feature, a back-to-back showing of 2018’s Black Panther followed by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. With a total runtime of 5 hours and 25 minutes, the epic event is in theaters for one night only on Thursday, November 10th.
Black Panther 2 World Premiere
Rather than the red carpet, the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cast hit the purple carpet in Hollywood. Among the guests were Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige, Disney CEO Bob Chapek, and Rihanna, who debuts new music and the original song “Lift Me Up” as part of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack album. Below, see more reveals from the Black Panther 2 world premiere:
Ryan Coogler Pays Tribute to Late Chadwick Boseman at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever World Premiere
Marvel’s Kevin Feige Reacts to James Gunn’s DC Studios Role
Tenoch Huerta on Marvel’s Changes to Namor in Wakanda Forever
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens only in theaters November 11th.
