The release of the movie Black Panther cultivated a legacy as more than a box office record-breaking film. For young black children everywhere, seeing their culture represented on the big screen not only as the center of a movie, but as the hero, was a revolution that at times seemed unfathomable. To be able to see not only your people, but such a large diaspora represented by a powerful franchise, sparked an emotional response deeper than pure excitement. It was catharsis.

In an oversaturated market, Black Panther was able to rise above the monotony of superhero films and deliver a culturally rich and refreshing celebration of black culture. Afrofuturism as a genre has existed for decades but has gotten little traction in mainstream media before director Ryan Coogler set out on a mission to make what became one of the most beloved black films to this day.  The beauty of Black Panther lies in Wakanda’s sense of agency that was portrayed through the Black Panther, King T’Challa, played by the late and beloved actor Chadwick Boseman. 

Chadwick Boseman’s death shocked everyone in the late summer of 2020—he had been privately battling cancer and even his colleagues on his final projects were unaware of his condition. While the world was oblivious to his cancer diagnosis, Chadwick Boseman visited children in hospitals with cancer. Nobody suspected he himself was suffering. In fact, when the press caught on to his weight loss (which is now known to be caused by the chemotherapy he underwent due to cancer), he was ridiculed immensely. As the world grieved the death of Boseman, the directors of Black Panther were faced with the job of navigating a film that he would no longer be a part of. Handling his absence, not only in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but in the cultural phenomena of Black Panther, was a difficult task.

The sequel to Black Panther, Wakanda Forever, was filmed during the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic and released in November, 2022.

Chadwick Boseman died before Wakanda Forever was filmed, but the script had already been finished, and had been written for him. Some view the production of Wakanda Forever as another force of mercantilism that plagues Hollywood and filmmaking. The never ending quest to make more money, even off movies that seem to have been concluded and in no need of a sequel, makes the idea of a Black Panther sequel after the death of someone so integral to the film and culture, seem like a money grab. Wakanda Forever had tough waters to navigate. The movie itself was a tribute for the late Chadwick Boseman who served a larger role in modern day hollywood than just Black Panther. He was a role model, an example of dedication and kindness, surpassing his job as an actor. 

Wakanda Forever  navigates the grief and trauma suffered by Shuri and Queen Ramonda in the wake of T’Challa’s death. But the audience knows the death of T’Challa wasn’t the only thing people were grieving. It is difficult to become more than a role you played, especially when you were the face of a character that finally allowed black children to see themselves as heroes in a way that hadn’t been done before. To be able to transform the hearts and the lives of so many was a feat that Chadwick Boseman accomplished. He was more than just the Black Panther. For some black children, the first hero they had seen on the big screen who looked like them. 

Director Ryan Coogler’s choice of only showing T’Challa in clips taken from previous MCU films represented memories and not current events. This stylistic choice allowed the film to center itself around Shuri, the new Black Panther and figurehead for Wakanda. The intent was to position Shuri into her new role while simultaneously serving as a tribute for Boseman. 

However, it can be said that the absence of him is felt more than the tribute. Some believe it would have been more impactful if no sequel had been made at all as it would have shown that Boseman is what made Black Panther so impactful. Wakanda Forever itself portrayed a Wakanda in which all of the light had been dimmed—the visuals of the movie were muted to represent the lack of light after the death of the Black Panther. The general tone of the movie was cold as all the joy and celebration of culture is almost nonexistent. The beauty of Black Panther was its ability to celebrate all parts of life, even death. Maybe Wakanda Forever didn’t need to be made, but it was able to serve as an excellent evaluation of the colonial state’s often subtle rise to power, and as an emotional journey through loss as a tribute for Chadwick Boseman.