Okay, let's face it, Marvel Phase 5 was a bit of a mixed bag. A couple of entries were genuinely good (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) and Deadpool and Wolverine killed it at the box office, but most offerings were middling – and some, here's looking at you Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, were downright disasters.
It's no real surprise, then, that as we wait for Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the hotly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, fans are revisiting the MCU's earlier chapters. On Reddit recently, someone pointed out that they rewatched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which led to loads more sharing their love for the Ryan Coogler-directed sequel and suggesting it'll only "grow in appreciation".
The original poster, named Educational-Tea-6572, highlighted the film's pacing and lengthy runtime, arguing that the "extra half hour really helped so all the many different character introductions and plot elements had time to breathe". Elsewhere, they praised those behind the scenes for not recasting the late Chadwick Boseman's titular hero and the way it did a "phenomenal job" of depicting grief and loss.
"I loved Shuri's crisis of faith. It kinda mirrored mine. It felt like a coming of age story in a lot of ways and I loved that about the film," said another. "There's so much depth and intentionality in the film that I don't often see discussed so I appreciate your post.
"I love how Shuri's arc is similar to that of T'Challa's arc in Civil War as a sort of tribute to that character both in and out of universe," added a third. "It works as a lesson she had to learn and a tribute, but flips it just enough that it feels unique to who she is and what she is going through."
Starring Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever sees Shuri, Queen Ramonda, and the rest of the titular kingdom mourn T'Challa, following his death from an illness in its opening scene. The pair are forced to put their grief aside and fight for their people, though, when Tenoch Huerta's Namor, the ruler of the mysterious underwater nation of Talokan, threatens them after corrupt government officials try to steal precious vibranium.
"I love what they did with Namor. Instead of another "Aquaman" (I know Namor was published first), they gave him a different culture that was pretty cool," wrote another fan. "I love the Aztec theme they went with and Namor just felt like a badass. Wasn't sure how they would do the ankle wings but I thought they were cool. The actor who portrayed him was really good, too."
"I think [Wakanda Forever] is better than [Black Panther]," boldly claimed one more. "Real life tragedy aside, I really love how they handle grief, anger, themes of revenge and family bonds. Everyone brings their A-game in terms of acting. It's beautifully shot and Namor is a fantastic addition. He's not your by-the-numbers villain and that's something the MCU is lacking."
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming now on Disney Plus. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows heading our way.
