Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Post by: Emily McTyre & Sarah Barclay

Black Panther is the newest installment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and it has brought on a new wave of excitement. Recently, as Marvel has added more and more films to its universe, and many new characters along the way, we’ve felt that the franchise was losing steam. The stories were beginning to feel forced and hard to keep straight with so much going on at once. However, Black Panther proved that Marvel’s still got it, now more than ever.

Black Panther is the semi-origin story of T’Challa and the Black Panther. T’Challa is first introduced in Captain America: Civil War and is established as a superhero after donning the panther suit to avenge his father’s death. In Black Panther, the story focuses more on T’Challa’s home country of Wakanda and his ascension to the throne. When a powerful enemy appears and disrupts the country during this transition stage, T’Challa and his allies are faced with the challenge of holding Wakanda and the world together.

There were so many aspects of Black Panther that worked harmoniously to create a story that has reached further than any superhero movie has before. Between the outstanding messages, acting, and visuals, this film stood out against the other 20-something in the MCU.

At first glance, the visuals of this movie showcase the abilities of the technology in the film industry. They presented a believable and intricate blend of rich African culture to the futuristic and modern atmosphere of Wakanda. Color and light were artistically implicated to the set design, thus creating a seemingly new world. The people of Wakanda’s clothing reflected the history of African culture while also playing into a innovative society. Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther’s costume designer, summed up the movie’s aesthetics by describing the look as “afro-futurism”.

In addition to these details surrounding Wakanda, Marvel also takes the time to develop Erik Killmonger’s backstory, which is placed in Western culture. The production design balanced the two areas with ease, creating a surreal world formed from the roots of Africa’s history.

A specific detail that we liked within Black Panther was each scene introduction, where they had the location and time stamp displayed first in Wakandan and then translated into English. We felt it was a nice touch and added more depth into the introduction of Wakanda as a whole.

The only thing we felt that was wrong with the movie were a few sound editing problems, mostly with ADR and synchronizing on-screen. These are minor errors, but of course as editors, we notice everything.

Performances were outstanding across the board. The cast was composed of Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa), Michael B. Jordan (Erik Killmonger), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Martin Freeman (Everett Ross), and Andy Serkis (Klaue). All of them portrayed strong and complex characters, adding depth to their personas as well as the story. Nothing about their performances seemed forced or two-dimensional; they all had developed reasons to act as they did. Only one aspect of a performance overall fell flat, which was a single line delivered by a Dora Milaje when T’Challa returns to Wakanda. The line itself fit within the story, but the delivery lacked the depth and believability of the other performances, thus feeling more forced. While serious themes were presented throughout the story, these actors were able to still convey the sense of humor that is carried through the MCU. They were able to achieve comedic timing in a sensible way, but they also focused on the messages of Black Panther’s story, making sure their voices were heard.

The way this movie represents the world’s diversity is handled both delicately and clearly. T’Challa is the first black superhero to appear in his own stand alone movie within the MCU. This expands the universe’s relatability to viewers who might’ve never seen themselves in a major superhero role otherwise.

Walking away from Black Panther in the theater, we felt a sense of empowerment and unity, both of which are major themes surrounding the Wakandan people’s story. Without giving away any spoilers, one of the central ideas of the story is that if we don’t stand together, there will always be a divide. An attempt to rewrite history or seek revenge deepens wounds rather than healing them. Still, in order to stand beside one another, we must understand each other’s perspectives on the world as well as the complexities behind our actions. We all have motives that drive our everyday lives and outlooks, but because we are each unique, we have to place ourselves in one another’s shoes. Wakanda forever!