Marvel Studios
No one really dies in comic books; resurrection is the medium’s stock and trade.
Nonetheless, faced with the untimely passing of star Chadwick Boseman in August 2020 (of colon cancer at age 43), Marvel embraces finality—and evolution— in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a sequel to its 2018 blockbuster that integrates its leading man’s death into its narrative. That makes Ryan Coogler’s follow-up a rather unique entry in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), although there’s still plenty of rebirth to be found in the franchise’s latest go-round. It’s a gargantuan and generally successful super-endeavor whose highs outweigh—if don’t wholly overshadow—its lows.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which hits theaters November 11, begins with King T’Challa’s (Boseman) end. His death was brought about by a vague disease that leaves his sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), in ruins and his forlorn mother, Ramonda (Angela Bassett), in command of the Wakandan kingdom.