My Excitement for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Is Overflowing
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Annlyel James 
Annlyel shares her excitement for Marvel Studios’ upcoming sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
It’s time to return to Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Seven years ago, when I was seventeen years old, I learned about Black Panther for the first time. It was via an issue of Entertainment Weekly featuring the three core characters of Captain America: Civil War and it blew my mind.
Here was this character I had never heard of before but his costume grabbed my eye immediately. And there was no doubt, that he was a black character but that is all I knew about him. I didn’t do any research on the character. I simply waited for the movie to tell me who he was. And when I discovered that T’Challa was an African King who was also a superhero my mind was utterly blown.
ICONIC
As a young black woman, there are many brave, inspiring heroes to look up to in fiction. Luke Skywalker, Frodo, Harry Potter, Aragorn, Batman, Superman, Iron Man, and Captain America. But there was never a black hero with such a presence onscreen as Black Panther. Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of the character was powerful, regal, unforgettable, and downright iconic. I remember watching Civil War and being in awe of, not only the incredible story but the beginning of this fascinating journey for a character that I knew would grow to be one of the best in the MCU. That prediction was not in vain.
Two years later we got Black Panther, a film that changed the landscape of the movie industry. It was that movie that moved audiences across the globe that made Hollywood step back and realize that inclusion was powerful. And it WAS necessary. As the film’s popularity and powerful scope of storytelling gained more fervor it was not only recognized by regular audiences, critics embraced it as well.
AWARD WINNER
It would go on to become the first superhero film to be nominated for not only a Golden Globe but Best Picture. It won Best Ensemble Cast at the Screen Acting Guild Awards. And the movie won four Oscars, two of which were historic for Black women (Costume Design and Production Design.) And it left its mark as superhero cinematic excellence.
The MCU continued, continuing Black Panther’s legacy on the franchise with his incredible inclusions in both Infinity War and Endgame. And then, we got the striking and horrible news on August 28, 2020, that Chadwick Boseman had unfortunately passed from cancer. It was a hard blow that no one saw coming. Suddenly, the possibility of a Black Panther sequel looked bleak without Boseman. But Ryan Coogler buckled down and worked hard to create a story that would not only honor Boseman but would push the story of Wakanda even further.
SEQUEL
Now, nearly two years after his passing, we have seen the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. And it is honestly, one of the most incredible trailers I have ever seen. Not only are we reunited with the beauty of Wakanda and its people and the power of its cultural significance. But now Namor has entered the chat. Coogler’s decision to change Namor’s origins was one of the best significant changes yet!
I just know that Tenoch Huerta is going to bring such an incredible presence to this character. In a way that could very well become iconic too. And to see such authentic beautiful Mexican culture on full display in a blockbuster is heartwarming. The MCU is finally starting to introduce these Latino and Latina heroes; Moon Knight played by Oscar Isaac and America Chavez played by Xochitl Gomez, and I am so happy for this level of representation.
And yes, we’re about to be introduced to Riri Williams a.k.a Ironheart which is also extremely exciting. She’s such a fascinating character in part because of her connection with Iron Man. And it’ll be nice to see how she steps into that role in the MCU. And oh, these Wakandan women. They’re so beautiful, strong, and mighty in this trailer. It’s honestly so rewarding seeing them about to be on the big screen again.
A BOX OFFICE BLOCKBUSTER
I think it’s safe to say that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has a chance of being the highest-grossing superhero movie of the year. And with The Batman making $770 million and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness making a little over $900 million then that means it could once again hit that coveted billion-dollar club. And that alone would be amazing yet again.
There’s nothing more I can say about this movie other than sometimes less is more but in this case for this film more is definitely more. I can’t wait until November 11th.
Source: Marvel Studios
Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
