Source: Marvel / Disney
The critically acclaimed sequel film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, will soon arrive on Disney’s streaming service.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will make its debut on Disney Plus Feb. 1. The move was announced by Disney through their social media platforms, which brings the blockbuster film to homes three months after its release in November 2022.
The sequel to Marvel Studios’ 2020 hit finds Queen Ramonda (Bassett), Princess Shuri (Wright), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and M’Baku (Winston Duke) all dealing with the aftermath of the death of the Black Panther, King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman). As they mourn, they are faced with a new threat to the kingdom of Wakanda – and the rest of the planet – in Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejia) and the kingdom of Talokan.
Despite mishaps that included Wright missing time due to injury and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, audiences responded emphatically to the film which includes a tribute to Boseman, who tragically passed away from colon cancer in August 2020.
Domestic box office reports showed the film earned $181 million on its opening, placing it just second behind Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness which was released earlier in the year. It would go on to be the sixth highest-grossing film released in 2022, with box office earnings listed at $821 million dollars.
The loss of Boseman was a shock to the cast as well as director Ryan Coogler, who admittedly had reservations about making Wakanda Forever or even directing at all as he was close to Boseman. “I didn’t know if I could make another movie period, [let alone] another Black Panther movie, because it hurt a lot. I was like, ‘Man, how could I open myself up to feeling like this again?’” Coogler said in an interview with GQ.
Wright also spoke of the emotional challenges in making the film and being present for the press runs afterward. “I’m bracing. I’ve seen some members of Chad’s team. When we lock eyes, we know how this feels. We have to take a step away,” she said in an interview. She continued: “I see my aunt locking my eyes with me, she’s very proud. I have to take a step away … It’s emotional. We’re trying to hold it together.”
