By: Ahly Manzueta—A/E Editor

Four years after the ground-breaking Marvel film Black Panther was released and only two years after Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing comes the emotional sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Boseman played the Black Panther, T’Challa, for three years and was featured in four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Boseman sadly passed away in 2020 at age 43 after fighting a four year battle with colon cancer. Black Panther was revolutionary for the black community in film. Ryan Coogler, the director of the film, is black, and the cast is almost entirely black—an uncommon set-up in the film industry and MCU. The sequel follows the events during and after T’Challa’s passing and the loss of the Black Panther while paying tribute to Boseman. 

Danai Gurira who plays Okoye, Wakanda’s General says she embraces her role as a woman of color. “The beauty is that we get to play these different women that are so different, but we don’t get to see those sorts of variations of women, and especially women of color, on the screen very often,” Gurira said. 

“To be a part of seeing all these different women characters come in and do their thing and be so distinct from each other at the same time is something that I don’t know if I’ve really seen that much of in my lifetime, especially on this sort of a platform. I’m just really excited that that gets to be out there and that I get to be a part of it,” she added.

“Seeing Black Panther truly gave me even more of a sense of representation, especially with the fact that the movie included Haitian culture so well,” Sharon junior and BSU member, Rayandinie Pierre-Louis, told the Talon.

“I actually cried four times while watching the movie, it was truly emotional and it was a beautiful representation and memorial to Chadwick Boseman. Especially with the scenes where the film went silent simply to respect him, it was truly a great experience and one of the best movies out of Marvel phase four,” she added.

T’Challa’s sister Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, is another female lead and being a part of a film like this is something that she loved, even while grieving the loss of her close friend as well as co-star. “It was such a treat to come to set and just be with people who are just as dedicated to the craft and just as dedicated to the story as you are,” the actress said. “Everyone’s quite different. It’s like different types of sauces but when you mix all of these beautiful sauces together, you have a film that could be so impactful for everyone. When we have these beautiful personalities and women coming together that can empower and move and shift the story and the voices forward, we’ve done something incredible.”