Marvel Fans Rediscover Hidden Gem While Awaiting Doomsday
As excitement builds for upcoming superhero blockbusters, devoted Marvel enthusiasts are taking a fresh look at an underappreciated sequel that tackled grief with unexpected emotional power.
Marvel's Phase 5 delivered mixed results. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 impressed audiences, while Deadpool and Wolverine dominated theaters. Most releases fell somewhere in the middle. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania? Complete disaster. With Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, fans are digging back into earlier MCU chapters.
Reddit Sparks Renewed Interest
A Reddit discussion recently highlighted Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, sparking widespread praise for Ryan Coogler's sequel. User Educational-Tea-6572 rewatched the film and shared their appreciation online. The post generated dozens of responses from fans suggesting the movie will "grow in appreciation" over time.
The original poster praised the film's extended runtime, noting how "extra half hour really helped so all the many different character introductions and plot elements had time to breathe." They also commended the decision not to recast Chadwick Boseman's character and the "phenomenal job" depicting grief and loss.
Character Development Wins Praise
"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," one fan commented. Another added, "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," wrote a third user. "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."
Namor Receives Unexpected Love
The film stars Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett. The story follows Shuri, Queen Ramonda, and Wakanda as they mourn T'Challa after his death from illness. Their grief gets interrupted when Tenoch Huerta's Namor threatens their kingdom. The underwater ruler of Talokan attacks after corrupt officials attempt stealing 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."
One bold fan declared, "I think [Wakanda Forever] is better than [Black Panther]. 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."