Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in cinemas next month, four years after the original, and now we’ve got the first reactions to the long-awaited MCU sequel.
The new movie from director Ryan Coogler sees the likes of Shuri (Letitia Wright), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira), M’Baku (Winston Duke) and Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) taking on underwater monarch Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta.
Sadly, due to the tragic death of star Chadwick Boseman in 2020, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will no longer focus on his character T’Challa.
The film held its world premiere last night (26th October) in Hollywood, and critics in attendance have praised the film, with many hailing it as the best Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame.
“#WakandaForever is phenomenal. Easily the best MCU project of Phase 4,” one critic tweeted.
“I can not understate how masterful the score is from start to finish. There are no weak links in the cast, but I have to give a special shoutout to Angela [Bassett] and Letitia Wright who really blew me away.”
#BlackPanther #WakandaForever is epic, especially in scope.
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) October 27, 2022
Namor is one of the better villains the MCU has had to offer. Tenoch Huerta just kills it!
Emotions are heavy. Ryan Coogler ups his game on the action. It’s a lot to take in, balance so much, and is powerfully good. pic.twitter.com/NYxk1UvTYz
Several critics praised Ryan Coogler’s directing and how the sequel pays tribute to Boseman’s legacy, with one critic calling it “epic, especially in scope”.
“Namor is one of the better villains the MCU has had to offer,” they wrote. “Tenoch Huerta just kills it! Emotions are heavy. Ryan Coogler ups his game on the action. It’s a lot to take in, balance so much, and is powerfully good.
Another commented: “#WakandaForever is blockbuster filmmaking on another level. It surpasses the incredible first film with high stakes and thrilling world-building.”
Black Panther: #WakandaForever is as epic as Marvel sequels get. The story is hugely ambitious & thematically rewarding with gut-wrenching twists and turns throughout. You feel the length but it’s fun, wildly beautiful and has the best credits scene in Marvel history, no contest. pic.twitter.com/zD8nYIFKXC
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) October 27, 2022
It wasn’t just critics who had high praise for the film, with Marvel’s Shang-Chi star Simu Liu describing himself as “speechless” after seeing it.
He wrote: “Incredible night at the #WakandaForever premiere. No spoilers, no words. Speechless in fact. Just watch the damn movie.”
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery director Rian Johnson was similarly impressed, commenting: “Takes real artistry to make something as huge & expansive as Wakanda Forever feel intimate and heartfelt. All hail the mighty Coogler. Loved it.”
Following the death of Boseman in 2020, some fans wondered whether the role would be recast.
However, shortly after his passing, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced that the sequel would instead focus on different characters in the world of Wakanda who had been established in the previous film.
Speaking in last month’s Empire magazine, Feige explained this decision, saying that when the team were developing the sequel, “it just felt like it was much too soon to recast”.
He added: “The world is still processing the loss of Chad. And Ryan poured that into the story.”
- Read More: How to watch Marvel movies in order
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is released in cinemas on Friday 11th November 2022. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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