The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reviews are in – and they’re mostly positive. The sequel to 2018’s Black Panther picks up in the country in mourning after King T’Challa’s (played by the late Chadwick Boseman) death. Meanwhile, Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje must try to protect their country from the increasing interest of world powers in their supplies. Meanwhile, a new threat emerges from the deep as Namor (Tenoch Huerta) enters the fold.
Wakanda Forever is already sitting at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on the first reviews, making it the highest-ranked Marvel movie of 2022. However, not everyone has loved the new movie – here’s what some of the critics have said about Black Panther 2.
Total Film – 4/5 – Kevin Harley
"James Cameron’s claim that Marvel never confronts the things that ground us doesn’t really hold water next to either Panther movie. As the closing scene approaches, Coogler holds the losses of Boseman and T’Challa close. Even if the requirements of an MCU tentpole weigh a little heavy elsewhere, Wakanda Forever nonetheless finally finds the much-needed room for reflection. When the time for tears comes, this ambitious, heartfelt blockbuster makes sure you feel it."
The Hollywood Reporter – David Rooney
"Even if the length feels overextended, Coogler and his editors deserve credit for allowing breathing space between the action scenes for character and relationship development, with Ludwig Göransson’s African-inflected score enhancing both those quieter moments and the big smackdowns. It’s impossible for Wakanda Forever to match the breakthrough impact of its predecessor, but in terms of continuing the saga while paving the way for future installments, it’s amply satisfying."
Screen International – Tim Grierson
"The grief many viewers will feel while watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is matched by the collective mourning that suffuses this ambitious, emotional, uneven sequel. Attempting to both deliver a momentous new installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and pay homage to former star Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 from colon cancer at the age of 43, director Ryan Coogler has crafted one of the franchise’s most distinctive chapters – a somber epic with an unmistakable hole at its center. But in the process of exploring how T’Challa’s death impacts those closest to him, Wakanda Forever proves poignant in two ways: the film is often quite thoughtful in its exploration of bereavement, but it struggles to overcome what the actor’s loss means to the future of this series."
The Verge – Charles Pulliam-Moore
"As wooly and uneven as Marvel’s Phase Four has often felt between its entry to the streaming space and its dalliances with the multiverse, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s a thrilling reminder of how sharp and smart the studio’s tentpole features can be. Rather than one-upping Black Panther, Wakanda Forever continues its story with a grace and care that’s more moving than any comic book movie has the right to be."
Entertainment Weekly – Leah Greenblatt
"Where can a superhero story that has lost its superhero go? Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (in theaters Friday) ultimately finds a new path forward, though director Ryan Coogler's grand, somber requiem makes it clear in nearly every scene that the late Chadwick Boseman is irreplaceable, both on and off screen. This is a movie very much in mourning for the man it lost – as a star, a colleague, and a friend – which seems like strange if not uncharted territory for a comic-book universe in which death is a Snap, and resurrection rarely less than another sequel or end-credits sequence away."
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in cinemas from November 11. For more, check out all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows to look out for.
