Marvel Studios' President Kevin Feige shares that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the most important film they have ever produced. The new movie is a sequel to major 2018 blockbuster Black Panther, which starred the late Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa, King of Wakanda. Boseman tragically passed away in 2020, much to the shock of fans and loved ones alike. As a result, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was reshaped to act as a tribute to both Boseman and his character; T'Challa has passed away by the time the sequel gets underway.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever finds Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) facing their grief after T'Challa's death, while dealing with the arrival of a new threat, Namor (Tenoch Huerta), from the hidden undersea kingdom of Talokan. Expectations are quite high for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever due to its position as both the sequel to one of the MCU's most successful solo films and as a tribute to a beloved actor. It remains to be seen what audiences will make of the new film, but behind the scenes, those at Marvel Studios already feel quite strongly about how the film came together.In a recent featurette about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, released by Marvel, the full weight of the sequel's significance can be felt. While much of the video is focused on returning writer/director Ryan Coogler, Feige kicks things off by making a pretty bold statement about Black Panther 2. He says:

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is important for many reasons. To begin with, it comes from a very human sentiment: grief. The movie will pay tribute to Boseman and T'Challa in a beautiful way, giving both the audience and those who knew the actor the chance to properly mourn him. Coming out at a post-pandemic moment where so many people have lost someone dear to them over the past two years, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will probably resonate with viewers in a moving away. Marvel fans have had a lot of opinions about how the studio should've processed Boseman's passing, to the point where some might say the future of the Black Panther franchise depends on reception to Wakanda Forever. That puts a lot of importance on this one movie.


On top of that, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stands as the sequel to a highly acclaimed movie. The first film broke barriers at the box office and became the first comic book movie to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars. Therefore, many will be looking to Wakanda Forever to see if it matches - or even exceeds - the high quality put forward by the original Black Panther. In the end, it will come down to how viewers feel about the work done by Coogler, Feige, and the rest of the Marvel creative team.