Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) is a superhero film adapted from Marvel Comics, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett. The film is part of the MCU and was released by Marvel Studios. Runtime: 2h 41m. Rated PG-13. Audience rating: 7.3/10.
What is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) about?
The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers following King T'Challa's death, and Queen Ramonda faces a powerful new threat from the underwater nation of Talokan.
Released in 2022, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was directed by Ryan Coogler and produced under the Marvel Studios banner. The film occupies a significant place within the MCU — contributing to the ongoing narrative and mythology of that cinematic universe.
The film features lead performances from Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta, among others, anchoring a story that adapts characters first brought to life in Marvel Comics. Its source material gives the film a foundation rooted in decades of published storytelling, which Coogler and the creative team interpret through a cinematic lens.
Its 7.3 rating reflects a film that divided audiences — appreciated for its ambition and spectacle by some, criticized for pacing and execution by others. Its place in the genre remains a frequent discussion point.
What happens in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)? — Full Plot
We open with T'Challa's death from an unspecified illness. Wakanda mourns its king. The film's opening cuts directly to the Marvel Studios logo where all the Marvel heroes — including Black Panther — appear in tribute. Chadwick Boseman's silhouette appears prominently. The funeral sequence — a public ceremony at Warrior Falls — uses real archive footage of Boseman's pre-death appearances.
Cut to: one year later. Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) — T'Challa's sister, the Wakandan tech genius — has been struggling with grief. She refuses to mourn publicly. Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) has assumed leadership of Wakanda. The kingdom is navigating its post-T'Challa political identity — particularly as other nations begin trying to extract vibranium from the seafloor.
An underwater civilization — Talokan, led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta) — emerges as a hidden threat. Talokan has been a Mayan-descended undersea civilization for 500 years, isolated like Wakanda. Namor's people have been protecting their own vibranium reserves. A U.S. CIA mission to extract seafloor vibranium has just been intercepted by Talokan warriors who killed every member.
Namor demands Wakanda choose between him and the world. He wants Wakanda to join Talokan in a coordinated attack against humanity to prevent global vibranium extraction. Queen Ramonda refuses. Namor attacks Wakanda in retaliation. Multiple Wakandan leaders are killed. The most-emotional death is Queen Ramonda's drowning — a sequence that was widely cited as the film's emotional peak.
Shuri, now alone, undergoes the heart-shaped herb ritual that her brother T'Challa underwent in Black Panther (2018). She becomes the new Black Panther. She must confront Namor while honoring her brother's mercy-first approach.
The final battle takes place on Wakanda's eastern seacoast. Shuri / Black Panther confronts Namor in single combat. The two engage in a vibranium-augmented hand-to-hand fight across cliffs and waves. Shuri eventually defeats Namor — but rather than kill him, she chooses mercy. The two nations agree to a non-aggression pact. The vibranium-extraction crisis is, for now, contained.
The film closes with Shuri formally accepting her role as the new Black Panther — but doing so privately, rather than at a public coronation. The mid-credits scene reveals T'Challa's son Toussaint, raised in secret by Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o). The reveal is the film's most-emotional sequence: T'Challa has a son who will, eventually, become the next Black Panther. Wakanda Forever grossed $859 million globally — strong commercial success despite difficult subject matter. Critics widely praised the film's tribute to Boseman.
Who stars in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)?
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What are some facts about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever released in 2022, placing it within the 2020s era of comic book cinema — a decade that saw superhero films become the dominant force at the global box office.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film was produced by Marvel Studios and adapts source material from Marvel Comics.
The principal cast features Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett, with key supporting roles played by Tenoch Huerta, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira.
The film belongs to MCU — the Marvel Cinematic Universe — the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever carries an audience rating of 7.3 — putting it in the solid-to-excellent tier of the genre.
The Marvel Comics source material for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been in continuous publication for decades, giving filmmakers a rich well of storylines, character arcs, and iconography to draw upon.
Modern superhero films like this one use a mix of practical effects and digital VFX, with entire sequences often shot against volume walls or LED stages pioneered by shows like The Mandalorian.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is catalogued on Movies on Comics among our collection of 162 comic book films spanning 48 years of cinema — from Richard Donner's 1978 Superman to the present day.
