Noor Harwell '24
On Saturday, November 12th members of Black Student Union (BSU) and Hispanic Latinx Association (HLA) convened to see the new Marvel film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. We all sat on the school bus decked out in white, the color moviegoers, particularly those in the Black and Latinx communities were called to wear to honor late Chadwick Bosman. Chadwick Boseman, who starred as the Black Panther and King T’Challa in the first Black Panther movie, died of colon cancer in August of 2020. His death was devastating for audiences, especially for many African Americans who had come to see Boseman as an inspiration of what was possible for representation of Black people in film. T’Challa might have been king of Wakanda in the Marvel Universe, but in our universe, Boseman ruled. His performance as the Black Panther brought a vision of Black excellence to life, and the new Black Panther film was dedicated to him.
When our large group got off the bus in Santa Barbara, we marched down the streets like a small parade. Everyone was chatting, excited, nervous, and buzzing. Any exhaustion from our class hours before was gone. In a blink, I was sitting in a cushy seat in the theater, armed with a medium slushy, waiting for the trailers to end and the movie to begin.
The film itself? Well, it was a special experience to watch Wakanda Forever among friends in HLA and BSU. The movie reveals Wakanda is not the only nation with access to the rare metal vibranium. Talokan, an underwater kingdom influenced by Mesoamerican mythologies and cultures, has long kept itself hidden from the world. The formidable Black Panther meets its match in Talokan's ruler, Kukulkan, known to his enemies as Namor. Watching the movie, something swelled inside my chest to see these two marginalized communities dominate the screen as the most powerful nations in the world. My sentiments were mirrored by Yeidy Salmeron ‘24 who eloquently explained, “I felt a strong sense of pride in being Latina, when I saw the empowering way that Latino culture was portrayed in the movie. I was grateful to be able to share that sense of ethnic pride with members of BSU.” I completely agree with Yeidy. I can’t imagine a better group to have shared laughs and smiles and a sense of pride with.
What we students shared most was tears. Lots of tears. More than once I turned to the next to me to see Kennedy Kirkland ‘23 sobbing. I don’t usually cry during movies, but even my eyes filled up a couple of times. Grief hung over the movie. All in the theater could feel the weight of Boseman’s death as Wakanda felt the loss of their king. The plot followed the strong women who had stood by him in the first film, now left to protect the most powerful nation on land in his absence. Akemi Oloritun ‘26 told me, ”It made me cry mainly because every sad moment, it was actually like their emotions. . . when Queen Ramona was talking to Okoye about her being the queen of the most powerful nation and losing her whole family was so impactful it brought me to tears.” The film struck hard because the emotions it presented were so real. Queen Ramona’s grief echoed a reality for Black women across the country left behind to grieve the Black men in their lives lost to the prison system, racial violence, and health disparities.
For me, Wakanda Forever fell short because of how much it had to achieve. The movie was challenged with simultaneously honoring Chadwick Boseman, setting up new plot lines for future Marvel franchises, bringing together Black and Latinx cultures, and possibly most unfair of all, living up to the glory of the first film. Displaying Black and Latinx communities side by side through Wakanda and Talokan is a huge part of the movie. Although there is violent tension between the two kingdoms, there is also an understanding between them. A shared history of struggle against colonization and oppression under white Europeans and the shared present threat of the outside world. I wish the film had given more time to dive into this relationship and also the people and culture of Talokan, shown only in glimpses in the film. With so much material to cover, this core tenet of the movie felt muddled among three or four other plot lines. An example of this was the introduction of Iron Heart (any comic book fans in the house?) also known as genius, African-American college student Riri Wiliams, soon to star in her own TV series. Although the movie attempts to play up her role, her background and story are not fleshed out and it was hard for me to feel a connection to her in the film.
In short, a lot happened in Wakanda Forever and as we exited the theater a lot of students left with their heads and hearts spinning. To the question I’ve been asked the most: did this movie live up to the first? It’s hard to say and it is possibly an unfair thing to ask of the film. I enjoyed the movie and know many people who went back to theaters to see it again. Abby Oke ‘24, one of the BSU heads and a planner for the activity said, “It was a lot of work but it was 100% worth it and I can’t wait for more amazing activities and events in the future!”
If you haven’t seen Wakanda Forever, I’d recommend it—if not for the packed plot, then to see Wakanda mourn and learn to thrive without her king and the beginnings of what is hopefully an extended relationship with Talokan. And, if you have yet to see the first movie? You need to get right on it!
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