I know a movie is top-tier when it forces tears to leak from my hazel eyes. Legitimately, five minutes into Marvel’s new phase four movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, I was wiping away salty water droplets. 

When acting is so gutwrenching that a fictional storyline and characters cause me to cry, I know that I’m sucked in; I am emotionally invested. Marvel has forced me to sob multiple times, but this film holds the title for the most times that I have cried in one sitting. 

One of the main plot points is the death of King T’challa, or Chadwick Boseman, who died in August 2020. The movie mourns and pays respect to the fallen hero. This caused a lot of tear-jerking scenes. In the movie, the king died of a mysterious illness, and Boseman’s cause of death was cancer. I was worried about how Marvel was going to respect this character; however, they did a marvelous job—pun intended. The pain of the characters in his family and his legacy were shown in a perfectly respectful way. 

The king’s death led to his mom (Angela Bassett) taking over as queen which then caused a ripple effect for the rest of the movie. Marvel always has a spectacular plot that somehow matches up with their other films. This makes their universe and films all the more exciting.  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was no exception. It also did not lack in the acting department. I am not surprised; all Marvel actors are stunning in both looks and talent.  

Letitia Wright, who portrays Princess Shuri, is only one example of extraordinary acting. She displayed the grief of losing loved ones flawlessly. I am simply in awe of her talent. I adore the dynamic between her and the warrior general Okoye, who is played by Danai Gurira; the sarcastic comments they threw back and forth added to the true friendship and love between them and the wholesomeness of their relationship. Another amazing friendship was between M’Baku (Winston Duke) and Shuri as they went to one another for wisdom and advice; they had a somewhat mentor-like relationship that was, in simple words, perfect. 

Another aspect that was perfect was the soundtrack. I am writing this while it plays, bringing the movie to life for me once again. I was thoroughly dazzled by each new sound that came through the speakers. 

I was also impressed by the history behind the plot and characters; there is an introduction of a new civilization that lives underwater and is from Mesoamerica. There is a new religious belief and variables brought into the Marvel Universe; it is almost educating. Marvel has a talent for incorporating many lifestyles, races, and religions into their superheroes. This brings about diversity and allows their viewers to learn more about other areas and beliefs out in the big wide world. 

Marvel positively astonishes me. I never tire of their movies and their recently added TV shows. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is another sign of a promising future for Marvel even though the original characters have passed on. You will catch me watching this film and any new one that comes out over and over again.