Afi Ruel If you haven’t seen Black Panther 2 (Wakanda Forever) yet and you care about spoilers, turn back now because this blog post if full of them!
Now that we’ve established you’ve seen it or do not care about spoilers, let’s get on to business and kick off Black History Month by talking about Wakanda Forever.
One of the reasons I became a latecomer fan of Marvel and DC comics is because of the superhero cameos in Batman vs Superman and Black Panther’s introduction in the (Winter Soldier). The way Black Panther and his Dora Milaje showed up were fearsome and totally unlike any of the other MCU characters. I did a deep dive on him and Wakanda and was sold on MCU and DC since.
Wakanda Forever did not disappoint for me in terms of visual effects. The story line was a bit jarring. I felt that the story of Namor and his people overtook the purpose of Wakanda Forever. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed seeing the story and this reimagined culture. But I thought the main focus should have been on how Shuri, Ramonda and all of Wakanda were recovering (or not recovering) from T’Challa’s death. I also wish there would have been more on why Shuri saw Killmonger in her first ancestral plane visit, but her mother in the second. Obviously, Ramonda hadn’t died yet when she went to the ancestral plane the first time so it makes sense she would only show up for the second time. But I was shocked to see Killmonger sitting on the throne in Shuri’s first ancestral plane visit. Yes, he had a short-lived seat on Wakanda’s throne when he was alive. And I suppose his death also technically made him Shuri’s ancestor. But was the purpose of him showing up to expose the darkness in Shuri’s heart? Was it to show how T’Challa had failed in his dimplomacy with foreigners? Whatever it was, I felt that should have been exposed more instead of allowing Shuri to avoid telling anyone about the experience.
I also felt that Shuri was still in her big brother’s shadow. I loved T’Challa. But this was Shuri’s time to shine. It felt like at certain points, she was reduced to blinding rage and insecurity. But perhaps this is what happens when you ARE blinded by grief and rage.
One of the best parts of Black Panther for me were the costumes. One of the most beautiful parts of African cultures are the traditional and modern styles. Wakanda Forever did not disappoint in this right. The geles of the elders and Queen Ramonda were on point. The personal styling of Akoye, Shuri and Nakia was inspiring. They were a combination of athletic, feminine and ethnic. This reminds me of how African and African-American cultures have influenced fashion and personal style around the world. I personally enjoy tignons and garments made with African-themed prints, and I know other women and men around the world do as well. Every culture has it’s own style and being African-American, I embrace the style of my racial heritage.
What did you like most about Wakanda Forever? What are your favorite African and African-American fashions?
