If ‘Ironheart’ was a decently entertaining spin-off featuring the character of Riri Williams, a comic character who got her MCU big screen introduction in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ but got lost in the shuffle of that busy sequel, ‘Eyes of Wakanda’ goes further and broader in a way only animation can achieve.
This series presents as an anthology show set across different time periods, but is ultimately linked by the presence of the Hatut Zaraze –– the “War Dog” operatives who undertake special covert missions outside of Wakanda’s borders (you might recall Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia as one such agent in the original ‘Black Panther’.
The links go deeper than that, but we won’t spoil anything here.
Under the guidance of Harris (with Coogler on hand to offer input) and lead writer Geoffrey Thorne, the series is an entertaining, ambitious look at the War Dogs through different chunks of history, from ancient China to the battle of Troy.
While the stakes are high, the scripts are leavened with wit and lighter touches, and even offer an intriguing new avenue to one character whose legacy is not exactly beloved by Marvel fans. We won’t specify who exactly, but suffice to say they made their screen debut back in the Netflix days, and are presented in very different form here.
‘Eyes of Wakanda’s stories hang together well, and the battles features are exciting. The style of the show certainly fits with ‘Black Panther’s existing design framework and expands the look to include historical touches and inventive tech.
Highlights from the voice cast including Winnie Harlow as Noni, a rebellious former Dora Milaje whose mission is effectively her job interview for the War Dogs, and Cress Williams, who plays a few characters, with the focus on The Lion, a former Wakandan warrior who has turned to the life of a pirate.
Elsewhere, there is good work from the likes of Steve Toussaint and Jona Xiao –– but again, we can’t talk about her character.
Though the major link between the stories aren’t immediately apparent, there is enough connective tissue and watchability within the separate episodes to make them all worth watching.
You don’t really have to have seen anything beyond ‘Black Panther’ to enjoy it, and it’s a healthy dose of diversity within the MCU.
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What’s the plot of ‘Eyes of Wakanda’?
Follow the adventures of brave Wakandan warriors throughout history in this globe-trotting adventure where they must carry out dangerous missions to retrieve Vibranium artifacts from the enemies of Wakanda.
They are the Hatut Zaraze and this is their story.
(Left) Adria Arjona stars in ‘Hit Man’. Photo: Netflix. (Right) Michael B. Jordan announces ‘Creed’ spin-off ‘Delphi’ at the Amazon Upfront on May 13th, 2025. Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Amazon
Preview:
Adria Arjona is the latest addition to Michael B. Jordan’s Take on ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’.
She replaces Taylor Russell, who departed over creative differences.
Amazon MGM Studios will release the movie worldwide.
Taylor Russell has left the movie, citing creative differences, leaving a key part available.
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Now we know that, after a quick search and plenty of interest from actors, the vacancy has been filled, as Variety brings word that Adria Arjona, most recently seen doing sterling work in Lucasfilm Disney+‘Star Wars’ series ‘Andor’ is joining the movie to star opposite Jordan.
(L to R) Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in 1969’s ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’. Photo: United Artists.
The 1968 original, directed by Norman Jewison, saw Steve McQueen as the titular bored millionaire, who concocts and executes a brilliant scheme to rob a bank without having to do any of the work himself.
When Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway), an investigator for the bank’s insurance company, takes an interest in Crown, the two begin a complicated cat-and-mouse game with a romantic undertone.
In an attempt to decipher Anderson’s agenda, Crown devises another robbery like his first, wondering if he can get away with the same crime twice.
Few details have emerged about Jordan’s take on the material, though we presume it’ll be a similar blend of high stakes heist action and unexpected romance.
What we do know is the script comes from ‘The Fall Guy’s Drew Pearce, with a previous draft by Wes Tooke and Justin Britt-Gibson, based on the original film.
Patrick McCormick and Toberoff Productions’ Marc Toberoff will also serve as producers, with Alan Trustman–– who wrote the 1968 original ––– serving as executive producer.
The trade site also offers word that producer Charles Roven (who recently shepherded the likes of ‘The Killer’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ to screens) will be overseeing things behind the scenes, while The Wrap has the news that Jordan’s ‘Black Panther’ co-star Danai Gurira is also aboard.
(L to R) Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in 1969’s ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’. Photo: United Artists.
The 1968 original, directed by Norman Jewison, saw Steve McQueen as the titular bored millionaire, who concocts and executes a brilliant scheme to rob a bank without having to do any of the work himself.
When Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway), an investigator for the bank’s insurance company, takes an interest in Crown, the two begin a complicated cat-and-mouse game with a romantic undertone.
In an attempt to decipher Anderson’s agenda, Crown devises another robbery like his first, wondering if he can get away with the same crime twice.
Few details have emerged about Jordan’s take on the material, though we presume it’ll be a similar blend of high stakes heist action and unexpected romance.
What we do know is the script comes from ‘The Fall Guy’s Drew Pearce, with a previous draft by Wes Tooke and Justin Britt-Gibson, based on the original film.
Patrick McCormick and Toberoff Productions’ Marc Toberoff will also serve as producers, with Alan Trustman–– who wrote the 1968 original ––– serving as executive producer.
As for who Branagh, Gladstone and Gurira will be playing? Still unknown right now.
Where else can we see Kenneth Branagh, Lily Gladstone and Danai Gurira?
Lily Gladstone stars in ‘Fancy Dance,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Finally, he was recently announced as part of the ensemble for comedy drama sequel ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’.
As for Gladstone, the actor was most recently seen in romantic comedy ‘The Wedding Banquet’ and has thriller ‘Lone Wolf’ and comedy ‘In Memoriam’ on the way.
She’s most recently been working on ‘The Fighting Shirley Chisholm’ playing Chisholm, who became the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1968.
And she will next be seen in ‘Matchbox’, adapted from the popular toy line, starring alongside John Cena.
In addition to this new directorial job, Jordan has been keeping himself typically busy.
He has several projects in development, including a ‘Rainbow Six’ film that will see him return as special forces operative John Clark. He’s also working up a fourth ‘Creed’ movie, which he’s expressed a desire to direct following his success with the third (which made $276 million at the global box office).
Jordan told Variety last year that he felt like he had plenty of work still to do:
“I still feel like an underdog. I feel like I just got here, like I’ve just arrived, and I have the tools and the things around me to really be on the offensive a little bit.”
When will the new ‘Thomas Crown Affair’ steal its way into theaters?
The movie has a March 5th, 2027 date set by backers Amazon MGM Studios. And with the cameras already rolling, Jordan is on track to deliver.
Pierce Brosnan in 1999’s ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’. Photo: MGM.
Other Movies in ‘ The Thomas Crown Affair’ Franchise:
(L to R) Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus on ‘The Walking Dead.’ Photo: Jace Downs/AMC.
Preview
AMC confirmed that Melissa McBride is officially joining ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ for Season 2.
The new season will be called ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon –– The Book of Carol’.
The first teaser for the Andrew Lincoln/Danai Gurira-starring ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’ was unveiled.
The original show might have shuffled off like a walker into the televisual sunset, but the universe of ‘The Walking Dead’ is more than healthy, with plenty of spin-offs either already aired (‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’), in progress (‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’) or on the way (‘The Walking Dead: Those Who Live’).
And AMC chose this year’s New York City Comic-Con to drop some fresh news about two of those series.
First up, we have ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’.
Is Melissa McBride returning as Carol for ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’?
Melissa McBride on ‘The Walking Dead.’ Photo: AMC.
Good news for Carol/Daryl “shippers”, Melissa McBride will indeed be back as Carol Peletier for Season 2 on ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’.
McBride, who played the character for 11 seasons on the main show, was originally going to return for the spin-off, but fans were dismayed to learn that she wouldn’t be making it across to Europe for the series, citing scheduling clashes and a desire to take a break from zombie worries.
Here’s what McBride said in a statement about the news:
“I’ve known there was much more to be told of Carol’s story as I felt her so unsettled when we last saw her, as she watched her best friend, Daryl, ride away. Apart or (hopefully!) together, their stories run deep, and I’m so excited to continue Carol’s journey here. This team of storytellers have done amazing work to land these two established characters in an entirely new world to them, and I’m loving the discoveries!”
What’s the story of ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’?
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.’ Photo Credit: Emmanuel Guimier/AMC.
The six-episode spin-off series finds Daryl (Norman Reedus) fighting his way through a walker infested and deadly divided L’hexagone in France to protect a child who many believe could save the world.
From the sounds of it, he will make it back for the second season, which is now titled ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon –– The Book of Carol’ set to debut in 2024.
First teaser for ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’
Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.’ Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC.
If there is an even more anticipated bit of ‘Walking Dead’ news, it would be anything about the Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira-starring ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.
The spin-off is described as an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world. Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead… and ultimately, a war against the living.
Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they’ve ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive — or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?
Or, if we’re being snarky, was the real Walking Dead the decomposing friends they made along the way?
This first look is certainly dramatic and has some flashes of action, but we’ll surely see more ahead of the show’s February 2024 premiere.
Who else is in ‘The Waking Dead: The Ones Who Live’?
Danai Gurira as Michonne in ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.’ Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC.
The consequences of the studios and other big companies that make up the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) not negotiating in good faith with writers and actors are continuing to be felt.
We already learned that Disney and Marvel have been juggling their schedules for big screen output to accommodate films that are delayed due to the strikes (or completed projects for which they want talent to be available to promote).
Yet that is also having a knock-on effect on the various Disney+ series that the superhero-focused studio produces. Which is hardly surprising given the deep intersections between Marvel’s movie and TV output (and the fact that the shows are also seeing delays due to writer and actor availability).
Animated series ‘What If…?’, which explores variations on characters and stories, has a second season ready to go, but will now launch in December this year (an exact date has yet to be announced).
‘Hawkeye’ spin-off ‘Echo’, based around Alaqua Cox‘s deaf Native American character, is shifting from November to January, while ‘X-Men ‘97’, a revival of the 1990s animated show, will fly from this fall to early next year.
Perhaps the biggest move underway is for the series currently known as ‘Agatha: Darkhold Diaries’ (formerly ‘Agatha: House of Harkness’ and then ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’), now shifting to next fall, likely (probably a smart move) to arrive around Halloween 2024.
As for shows that were still in production (or post-production)? The likes of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ and ‘Wonder Man‘ will have to wait to gear up shooting again, while ‘Ironheart’ (featuring Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, first introduced in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’), is stuck in post-production limbo, and does not currently have a launch slot.
‘Loki’s second season is still on track to launch on Disney+ on October 6th.
Marvel is no doubt figuring that the show –– which is still the most successful of the small screen MCU offerings –– will effectively sell itself. And it also doesn’t want to have the fall completely empty.
‘Loki’ picks up the story of the title character’s (Tom Hiddleston) journey around the multiverse, figuring out what is wrong with time and encountering variant versions of himself. Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino star in the series, with Ke Huy Quan a big guest star in this second season.
AMC scores waiver
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead.’
It’s not all bad news for those who produce TV series (and movies). Many independent productions have secured waivers to keep shooting or to promote their projects.
Perhaps the highest profile of recent examples is AMC, which is behind shows such as the mammoth ‘Walking Dead’ franchise and ‘Mayfair Witches’.
It might surprise you to learn that AMC Networks, whose AMC Studios produces most of its shows, is not an AMPTP member but is an “authorized” by the alliance, meaning AMC agrees to abide by any contracts between the AMPTP and industry unions such as the WGA or SAG-AFTRA.
The recent waiver from SAG-AFTRA (the union representing actors, which is currently on strike) means that three shows can continue work.
(L t R) Danai Gurira as Michonne, and Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead.’
‘Walking Dead’ spin-off ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ (surely self-explanatory for fans) can resume production while ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’ (which sees the return of Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira’s Michonne to the franchise) finished shooting before the strike but can have the cast head to the studio for post-production work such as additional dialogue recording.
Anne Rice adaptation ‘Interview With the Vampire’ will return to shooting in Prague after shutting down when the actors’ strike started. No other AMC shows are currently included under the waiver.
In 2018, Chadwick Boseman donned the claws and took on the role of T’Challa in Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’. We first saw Boseman debut the role in 2016’s ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ where he mourns the loss of his father King T’Chaka due to a terrorist attack. The event pits him against Team Captain America as he fights alongside Ironman, War Machine, Black Widow, Vision, and Spider-man.
T’Calla would go on to appear in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, ‘Avengers: Endgame’, and Marvel’s animated series ‘What If’. The reactions to Black Panther’s entry into the MCU were positive, and his appearance in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ perfectly sets up the stand-alone film, directed by Ryan Coogler (‘Creed‘). The film opened in 2018 to $202 million domestically and has a critics’ score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes today.
Alongside Boseman, the ‘Black Panther’ cast includes Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda, Letitia Wright as his sister Shuri, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi, and Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger. The film would go on to win Academy Awards for Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Production Design, and Best Original Score.
The movie received glowing reviews from critics and fans alike, warranting a sequel and likely more appearances of the Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer and passed away before the second movie was made. His untimely death sent a shock wave through the community. Bose was 43 at the time.
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther in 2018’s ‘Black Panther.’
The official synopsis for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is as follows:
“Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.”
Many were left to wonder, what is the story of Black Panther and Wakanda without its lead? Director Ryan Coogler revealed that initially, the story was going to focus on T’Challa and how he comes to grips with fatherhood. ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ focuses on grief and mourning, and serves as a beautiful tribute to Chadwick Boseman.
Returning to the sequel to reprise their roles are Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba, Winston Duke, and Martin Freeman. The movie is joined by Tenoch Huerta (‘The Forever Purge‘) who plays the film’s antagonist, Namor. Dominique Throne (‘Judas and the Black Messiah‘) enters the franchise as Riri Williams/Ironheart, who will also appear on Marvel’s ‘Ironheart’ series for streamer Disney+.
Without Boseman in the lead, the story focuses on the citizens of Wakanda and how they protect their nation from a new threat – Atlantis and their ruler, Namor. The movie opens with a chaotic scene where Shuri is trying to recreate the heart-shaped herb. She was unable to complete the process before Queen Ramonda delivered the news of her brother’s passing. The funeral procession for T’Challa follows. The film is filled with many emotional and powerful moments such as Queen Ramonda’s speech to the United Nations, and the burning of the funeral garb with Shuri. Ultimately, Shuri takes the helm as the new Black Panther and faces off against Namor in the final act.
Where Can I Watch ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’?
There’s still a chance to see ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ in theaters! The film premiered on November 11, 2022, and has a runtime of 2 hours and 41 minutes. There is one mid-credit scene.
Additionally, you can now pick up the DVD and Blu-ray of the film in stores. For the collectors, retailers such as Target, Best Buy, and Walmart have exclusive editions.
Academy Award Nominations For ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
The Ryan Coogler-directed sequel opened to $181 million during opening weekend and has grossed over $800 million worldwide. The film has a critics score of 84% and an audience score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has already received many awards including a Golden Globe Award (Best Supporting Actress, Angela Bassett) and two Critics Choice Awards (Best Costume Design and Best Supporting Actress).
It has received five Academy Award nominations including:
Throughout his career, Boseman has received many awards including a Golden Globe award, a Critics Choice Movie Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, an Emmy award, and an Oscar nomination. Aside from appearing as T’Challa aka the Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you can find the star’s work below:
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ was released in theaters on November 11th, 2022 from Marvel Studios. Directed by Ryan Coogler, and written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, the film stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winstone Duke, Dominique Thorne, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tenoch Huerta, and Angela Bassett.
Watch Moviefone’s interviews with director Ryan Coogler and the cast of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ below:
Easily one of the most anticipated movies of the year, superhero sequel ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ carries more than just the expectations for a follow-up to a huge box office hit and pop cultural moment.
In continuing the story from 2018’s ‘Black Panther’, the movie, its cast and crew must also wrangle with the emotional fallout after the death of leading man Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 from colorectal cancer.
And there is a threat from beneath too – beneath the surface of the ocean, that is – as Tenoch Huerta’s Namor, ruler of the undersea kingdom of Talokan, who has his own reasons to attack Wakanda.
As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path.
Moviefone had the chance to attend a press conference where Nyong’o, Wright, Huerta, director Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige talked about the new film.
Kevin, work on the script was in progress when Chadwick Boseman died, which meant a big change. How did that process start, and how did it shift as you guys were going about the task?
Kevin Feige: In my memory of it, the shock turned into, “Well, you know, what do we do? What should we do? Should we do anything?” And I think relatively soon, it was determined that this amazing ensemble of characters and this world that had been created onscreen needed to continue. Ryan pours everything and all of himself into everything he does and had been working for almost a year on a version of the movie with T’Challa in it. And was finding and pouring his life experience from making the first movie into that. And then when we lost Chad, all of that, obviously, was then poured into this movie, as well. And keeping the idea of a celebration of Wakanda and the character at the forefront, in addition to the grief that, of course, is gonna come with that.
Ryan, this was a collaborative project. So, tell us about some of the fun collaborations you had on set.
Ryan Coogler: It was great. I think that’s one of the great things, when you get to do a series of films, is that you get to have these mini reunions. It was such an amazing time that we had making the first one. Now, four years had passed. It was just great to see everybody again and to catch up and to see how everybody had grown. We were also coming off of a pandemic. We actually started the film right smack in the middle of it. I think everybody experienced a sense of loneliness, you know, during the years that followed, that crisis. It was just great to see some of these folks and give ‘em a big giant hug again.
Letitia, talk about playing a different, angrier, grieving side of Shuri in this film?
Letitia Wright: We meet her in the first film and she is that ray of sunshine. She’s so clothed and protected in royalty and love. And proud of her big brother taking the step, following on his father’s legacy. She just wants to create. I love Shuri in the first one because there was no limit to her. She was the person her brother went to for his protection, his armor. He encouraged that. Her family encouraged her to be a genius and to be faithfully and wonderfully made.
So, we follow on from that. What does that look like when your heart is broken? I think it was just Ryan (Coogler)’s guidance on how do we create a full arc of this human being? Of this young woman going to through something alongside her fellow family members, in general, and Wakandans. I think the way it was written and the delicacy, the gentleness of how we approached it. We always spoke, we always communicated, at every step of the way. We were able to bring something that felt real, that felt truthful. I was able to really give my heart to it and give Shuri a full arc. Hopefully people can really resonate with that and find some healing, you know, alongside us, with it.
Lupita, you play Nakia, who seems out of all the characters to best have a handle on her grief, until she admits she doesn’t. And that’s not an easy thing to portray as an actor, right?
Lupita Nyong’o: I remember, in the beginning, reading the script, and I was so envious of Letitia because she gets to be chaotic! That’s how I felt, I felt raw and, you know, wanted to express it. Nakia, though, she’s just a little further along in terms of her processing. It’s not like she has it all figured out, but in the first film, Ryan described her as T’Challa’s oasis. That really, really resonated with me. So, when I was reading this script and thinking about where she is, I realized that what she was once to T’Challa, she now has the opportunity to offer Shuri. It made a lot of sense in terms of the structure and architecture of the story.
LN: When we’re talking about exploration of grief, it’s really grounding to have someone who is, I want to say, befriending of the change for the people in the story, but also for an audience. The fact that she was T’Challa’s love, in a way I guess it allows an audience to know that it’s okay, you know? It’s okay. As much as I was frustrated with Ryan for doing that with Nakia, actually playing her was very therapeutic for me. You know, because I had to look beyond my frustrations with losing Chadwick and learn from her. Learn from that wisdom that she seems to possess.
Tenoch, how was it coming in and playing essentially a villain here as Namor?
Tenoch Heurta: It is tricky, when you have a character like this, because you are the antagonist. You’re gonna destroy something that is vital, not just in the story, but to the people. The people outside. A lot of people feel identification with Wakanda, and I include myself in that, and the narrative and representation and everything. So, now I must play the bad guy who tries to destroy that legacy! But at the same time, Ryan, in the script, he found a way to make it human, to justify why that people do that kind of thing.
They share the same wound, you know, historically. I mean, like, representation of their cultures. But at the same time, as individuals, they share that wound. How they solve the problem is about their personality and their own history. So, that’s beautiful. That balance in a movie. It doesn’t happen too much and it’s enjoyable.
In the underwater scenes, how much swimming experience did you have before this and how much did you have to get?
TH: I didn’t know how to swim before this movie! But now I can hold my breath for five minutes.
Ryan, what was the thinking behind having the women of Wakanda take center stage?
RC: Yeah. Joe Robert Cole my cowriter, and I, this was what made sense to us. What we wanted to look at was, you know, when you lose somebody, there’s, like, a blast radius. You know, that’s like a bomb that goes off. Who was the closest to it, you know? That’s who we explored.
The main characters, their identities were kinda wrapped up in this man, you know, like, is the truth of it. You know, and Shuri, every day she was alive, she had her brother. So, when she lost him, what we discovered while we were working on the script, and then eventually bringing it to life with the actors, was that she really lost her sense of self. She identified herself as this guy’s little sister. As his protector and as the person who looks out for him. So, when she loses that, it makes her very unmoored. It wasn’t really about gender, directly. It was about who was the most, you know, who would be most affected, you know?
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ debuts in theaters on November 11th.
The long-awaited sequel to 2018’s Oscar-nominated Marvel movie, ‘Black Panther,’ which is entitled ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ finally opens in theaters on November 11th.
The film was put in jeopardy in 2020 when the franchise’s lead actor, Chadwick Boseman tragically died of cancer. Returning director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole were forced to rewrite the script, and choosing not to recast the character, find a way to explain his absence. Their choice was to kill off the character, which would be the second and ultimately last time T’Challa died in the Marvel Universe, after disintegrating when Thanos snapped his fingers in ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’
The sequel begins shortly after King T’Challa‘s death, but I’ll let the film itself explain exactly what he died from. The Kingdom of Wakanda is mourning their fallen king, as Shuri (Letitia Wright), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and M’Baku (Winston Duke) rally around their Queen, Ramonda (Angela Bassett), while a new threat emerges from the hidden undersea nation of Talokan ruled by Namor (Tenoch Huerta).
With war brewing between the two powerful nations, the CIA dispatches Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) to keep an eye on the situation, and while Wakanda’s royal family decides what to do with the Black Panther mantel, they seek the aid of MIT student and genius inventor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), who in the comics is known as the hero Ironheart and soon will have her own Disney+ series.
The result is a solid and entertaining sequel that truly explores the concept of grief and loss, and introduces some great new characters to the MCU, however, unfortunately never overcomes the unmeasurable absence of Boseman and his character.
The film does have a few issues, and one of the problems with the movie is it is just too long for the story it is telling. At 2 hours and 41 minutes, it’s longer than ‘Infinity War’ and the story just does not warrant it. Also, without giving anything away, the character of Black Panther does not show up until after the two-hour mark, and that is a problem for a movie with the words ‘Black Panther’ in the title.
Ultimately, the film suffers from the loss of Boseman, and in turn T’Challa, but obviously there is nothing that could be done about that. But now that we’ve mentioned all of that, let’s talk about what does work. Director Ryan Coogler has crafted an epic film, huge in scope, that basically deals with the simple idea of grief and how we as people deal with loss.
The returning cast is excellent, and every actor has a chance to step-up their roles in the wake of Boseman’s absence. Leading the charge is Oscar-nominated actress Angela Bassett, who gives a passionate performance as the Queen of Wakanda, and a mother who has lost her son. Her performance is the heart of the film.
Danai Gurira is also a standout, with Okoye questioning her place in the world after the death of T’Challa. Her character comes in conflict with Ramonda and has some terrific scenes with Bassett. Winston Duke’s M’Baku also has a larger role this time around, now as an advisor to the royal family.
Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia is also a welcomed return to the franchise, and while she plays a pivotal role in the story, her character does not have as much screen time as I had hoped.
But Letitia Wright’s Shuri is clearly the focal point of the film, and while the actress gave a strong performance in the original as a supporting character, she stumbles a little leading the movie on her own but is ultimately helped by the rest of the cast’s strong supporting performances.
But it’s the movie’s new characters that really shine including the MCU introduction of Dominque Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart and Tenoch Huerta as Namor.
Thorne, who actually auditioned to play Shuri in the first ‘Black Panther,’ is excellent as the MIT student that will eventually become the MCU’s new Iron Man. Williams and Shuri hit it off right away, and the two actresses have great chemistry together. The character is a great addition to the MCU, and while the movie acts as a backdoor pilot to her upcoming Disney+ series, I can’t wait to see what they do with the show.
But the standout of the film is truly the introduction of Namor and the career-making performance by Tenoch Huerta. Namor first appeared in Marvel comics in 1939, but due to the film rights being tied-up at another studio, Marvel was not able to bring the character to the big screen until now.
It’s a shame that DC was able to launch an ‘Aquaman’ franchise first, because there will unenviably be comparisons. The Talokan people will also undoubtedly be compared to the characters in Disney’s other big sequel opening this year, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ as they are blue and have a passing resemblance to the Na’vi.
But the character looks very comic book accurate on screen, and the effects used for his ankle wings is fantastic. Huerta brings a lot of passion and gravitas to his role and is extremely commanding as Namor. While the character is basically a hero in the comics, he has had arcs where he is an anti-hero, so using him as the antagonist for this movie makes sense, but there is still room in the future of the MCU for the character to play a more heroic role.
There are a few surprise cameos that I won’t give away, one connected to the original ‘Black Panther,’ and another connecting to presumably the upcoming ‘Thunderbolts.’ And while there is no end-credit scene, there is a mid-credit scene that adds a heart-warming element to the franchise for future installments.
In the end, director Ryan Coogler has crafted a strong sequel and a truly beautiful film about loss and dealing with grief, that unfortunately can never surpass the original due to the seismic loss of Chadwick Boseman. Coogler and the cast have created a loving tribute to the late actor, but we’ll always have to wonder what this sequel could have been if Boseman had survived.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.
The new sequel follows the leaders of the kingdom of Wakanda as they fight to protect their nation from invading forces in the wake of King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) death, as a new threat emerges from the hidden undersea nation of Talokan ruled by Namor (Tenoch Huerta).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Ryan Coogler and actress Danai Gurira about their work on ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ what audiences can expect, the challenges of making the sequel, the death of Chadwick Boseman, how Okoye is dealing with the loss of T’Challa, and what it meant to Gurira to be part of this beloved franchise.
Danai Gurira stars in Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.’
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Coogler, Gurira, Mabel Cadena, and Alex Livinalli.
MF: Danai, Okoye has been through so much since the first movie. She survived the Blip, battled Thanos, and now has lost her King again. Can you talk about where Okoye is mentally and emotionally when this movie begins?
Danai Gurira: She’s definitely in a very difficult place, but I think also she hasn’t allowed herself to fully live in the grief or to process it because she has to take care of the kingdom. She has to take care of the remaining royal family. She has to make sure that things remain stable and that the job is done.
They’re dealing with new threats, folks coming in, trying to steal things. So, there’s a lot that she has to stay very focused on, and I don’t think she’s taking the time. But I don’t think her or most of the people in the film have taken the time to process their grief.
MF: The movie is a very loving tribute to Chadwick Boseman, can you talk about how the emotions the characters are experiencing in the movie parallel how you all felt about the real-life loss of your friend?
DG: I mean, everything was dedicated to his honor. As Ryan said when he first told us we were doing it again, and that we were doing the second one without Chadwick, that clarity that “This is what he would’ve wanted” was very clear to him, and then it became very clear to us.
So, that was really the journey in there for us and the way that we were anchored was knowing that. So, Ryan was very amazing helping us navigate the story with that knowledge in the forefront. What he put together in terms of what the story had allowed us to feel a grounding, to feel grounded despite the fact that it was a very difficult time in terms of our own grief process.
MF: What has it meant to you to be a part of this franchise, that is so beloved by so many people, and get to play this character over the course of these films?
DG: It’s meant a great deal. I grew up definitely not seeing this sort of narrative told, and wondering why? I always was that kid who was like, “It didn’t make sense to me.” You know what I mean? There’re some folks who are like, “Oh, that’s just the way it is.” I was like, “No, no, no. It makes no sense.”
There’s no reason that people of different ethnicities or of African descent are not seen on epic scales on screen, like white people are. There’s just no reason. That was something that always annoyed me, and I did not accept it as just the way things were. I’m just excited. I was just excited it came to existence. The fact that I got to be a part of it on top of that just feels like a crazy blessing.
MF: What was it like working with Ryan Coogler again on this movie and watching him execute his vision for this specific sequel?
DG: It was pretty incredible. There was no easy task. There was nothing easy about making this film. There was absolutely nothing easy about it, and he had to hold on very tightly to a vision and to the clarity therein, and we had to really be anchored by him. He was an anchoring force in that regard and guided the process in a way that and was very helpful to us.
There are times I didn’t understand. In the very beginning, I didn’t understand what was going on with me. He’s like, “You’re going through grief. That’s grief.” I was like, “Oh crap. That is what this is.” There are times you can’t even isolate what you’re dealing with until someone helps you see it and helps you understand the journey you need to take. I think in some ways that was paralleling my character.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ director Ryan Coogler.
Moviefone: Ryan, what would you say to fans who have been looking forward to this sequel as they get ready to sit down and watch it?
Ryan Coogler: Honestly, I would say thank you for showing up, and then I would let the film speak for itself.
MF: Can you talk about the challenges as a director of making this sequel, and how the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman changed your plans for the movie?
RC: I would go backwards, and first talk about the challenges not specific to our personal and professional loss and the tragedy that was his passing. The movie’s big. It has a lot of locations and a lot of things that I had never done before. There’re seven languages spoken in the film, oftentimes by actors who aren’t fluent in the language that they’re speaking. I’m a monolingual person myself, you know what I’m saying?
So, it was a complicated process to direct those languages that I don’t speak. We wanted to do things sonically in the film that hadn’t really been done before, specifically around vocal work and music. We had to do set building and costume design, and lighting design that worked for sets that were amphibious, sets that worked dry, sets that worked wet, sets that could go from dry to wet on camera.
We had a whole regimen of free diving and water stunts that all of our main actors and all our main supporting actors had to do. Everybody had to get in the water at least 10 feet down most times. Some of our actors had never swam before, and that was something that we had to overcome together. As a director, I was not comfortable in the water like that before this movie. I had to get comfortable, so I could direct it.
So, it was a lot of challenges overall, not to mention the challenges that Joe (Robert Cole) and I had to deal with in terms of writing this thing. But the challenge of losing our lead actor, friend and leader was unique, and at times felt insurmountable. But quickly, once we wrapped our heads around it, we were motivated to make something that could continue on his personal legacy.
MF: Finally, can you talk about the choice to introduce Namor and Ironheart to the MCU with this movie, and the casting process for those roles?
RC: I feel blessed to be able to do it as a filmmaker. What’s great about Ironheart is, I got to work with an actor who’s style I was very familiar with in Dominique Thorne. She auditioned earlier on for Shuri, so I met her through that audition process and she was very young, but incredibly talented. I knew she was going places even though it didn’t work out for that role.
I got to work with her again in a producer capacity, where the production company that I founded was able to produce for Shaka King, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah.’ Shaka cast Dominique in that, so we got to work together in that capacity. I got to see her do some incredible work as Judy Harmon in that film, and she got cast in another friend and colleague of mine, Barry Jenkins’ film (‘If Beale Street Could Talk’). She had some great scene work in that.
So, when the opportunity came for us to cast Ironheart, I kind of had Dominique in mind already, knowing what she could do, and knowing how she had grown as an actress and as a young woman. So, I was happy to make that happen. We are also wrapping up production on our Disney+ series (‘Ironheart’) that my company Proximity Media is helping Marvel Studios produce, so I’m super excited about that. I feel honored to bring a character with that incredible history in publishing to life cinematically.
With Namor, what a gift to a filmmaker to have the opportunity to bring Namor to the big screen after nearly a century of history and publishing, and just no representation of him either in film or television. So, it was with great pleasure and tenacity that I wanted to make sure we represented Namor in the right way, but in a way that could exist inside of a ‘Black Panther’ film.
The first trailer for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ was heavy on the emotion, a beautiful, stylish tribute to the fact that the filmmakers have had to deal with the loss of star Chadwick Boseman.
For the new look at the movie, though, we get a little more story and a lot more action.
Following on from T’Challa (Boseman) introducing the wider world to a much more advanced and powerful Wakanda than anyone outside understood, there are naturally those who are motivated to exploit it.
And, as Wakanda reels from the death of its king (that aspect is still shrouded in mystery), there is another looming threat on the horizon. As Wakanda revealed itself, that also caused problems for the nearby, undersea kingdom of Talokan, ruled by the powerful Namor (Tenoch Huerta).
A mutant with wings on his feet and superior abilities, he’s none too happy with the new world order, and Talokan makes its feelings felt.
Fortunately, they do have some help: Martin Freeman is back as Everett Ross, while the movie will introduce Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), a young genius who has effectively engineered her own version of Stark technology, becoming the hero known as Ironheart.
Oh, and we get our best look at whoever is taking over the mantle of the Black Panther – and from the suit, it’s pretty clear that it’s a woman. Whether than means Shuri (who is tellingly front and center on the poster), Nakia, Okoye or someone else remains to be seen at this point.
Co-writer/director Ryan Coogler has a lot to accomplish here – follow up one of Marvel’s biggest standalone hits, a zeitgeist success that meant an awful lot to many people. And he’s got to do it without the charismatic lead.
Still, there is plenty of performing power to be found in the cast – and with the addition of Huerta and Thorne, even more has been added.
Given the undersea nature of Talokan, comparisons with ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ (which will be released a little over a month after the superhero film), are inevitable. Yet there’s plenty more going on here
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ itself faces big challenges, but given how well the first movie turned out, we’re confident it’ll rise to meet them.
Tickets are now on sale for the movie, which will be in theaters on November 11th.
