X

'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Is 'Cathartic Tribute' to Chadwick Boseman, According to Critics' Social Media Reactions

The first (short) reviews are in for the 'Black Panther' sequel and they are strong!
by Danielle Turchiano — 
screen-shot-2022-10-26-at-11-11-41-am.png

'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'

 Marvel Studios

After T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) death, the world may look at Wakanda and think its people are vulnerable enough to strike. And that is surely part of the plot of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which sees the underwater nation of Talokan rising up as a threat and the Queen Mother (played by Angela Bassett) having to defend the nation's refusal to share vibranium in court. But all of that will only make Wakanda stronger, and as such, film critics' early reactions to the Black Panther sequel are coming in strong, too.

"#WakandaForever is fantastic! [Writer/director Ryan] Coogler delivers a soulful, wondrous sequel that packs an emotional punch & effectively explores relevant world themes. A beautiful tribute to Boseman's legacy," wrote Fico Cangiano on Twitter.

How the film handled T'Challa's (and Boseman's) passing was a hot topic among those who saw the movie early, but it wasn't only Cangiano who felt the film did a respectable job. Kevin McCarthy and Travis Hopson both called the film "cathartic," with McCarthy adding that the sequel reminds the audience "of his monumental impact & that he's truly still here with us." 

With Boseman looming so large over the first film, not to mention the surprise that his death came to fans, it's no surprise his spirit is still all over the sequel, nor his name all over early reactions. But, he wasn't the only thing critics focused on, with Hopson, for example, also looking at how the story moved past T'Challa, calling out the intro of Namor (Tenoch Huerta), and Samuel Leggett Jr. commenting on multiple important production elements, from the camera work to the acting, to end up saying, "WOW."

The full review embargo for the film lifts on Nov. 8, and the movie opens in theaters on Nov. 11. The original film from 2018 is a Metacritic Must-See with a Metascore of 88.

Read on for more social media reactions to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.