YIBAMBE! T’Challa: The Black Panther Appreciation 2022

[Ascended]

It was a good film. Better than I thought it would be.

And I don't get the vibe that they were trying to monetize Boseman's death. I mean, the film revolves around T'Challa dying and how that impacts Wakanda and the world so there *is* monetization there of course, but it didn't come off as crass, to me. It came off as a talented cast and crew trying to redirect the franchise while honoring their friend. The Mouse certainly only cares about the dollar but the people who made this movie were thinking beyond that, and it shows.

I worried it'd be tasteless, or the weight of making the movie so soon after Boseman would prove disastrous. It wasn't.

Still would have preferred a recasting, but the movie resets the franchise successfully, does right by Boseman's memory, and held itself together surprisingly well given the long list of problems they've dealt with during production. It's not a perfect movie or anything, but neither was the first one. Not having T'Challa hurts, it still feels like the world lost something important without the Black Panther in it. But this movie did right by the franchise and the actor who put it on the map. I'm as satisfied with it as I can be, given the king is gone.

[Tracks]

Are we allowed to discuss spoilers here yet or are we waiting a couple of weeks? Either way one of my favorite projects of this MCU phase. There were some aspects I liked better than the original. Chadwick is definitely missed.

[Ezyo1000]

Really? Who, exactly?

Literally scroll back a few pages here, go on Twitter, you and toon aren't the only two who has seen the movie in this thread

[80sbaby]

Literally scroll back a few pages here, go on Twitter, you and toon aren't the only two who has seen the movie in this thread

I'm not on Twitter but feel free to post the ones that say the film is depressing.

As for this post, nobody's actually said that here. But again, feel free to quote those that did.

[Dboi654]

Box Office: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Rules With $330 Million Global Launch, $180 Million Domestic Debut

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/b...ns-1235431385/

Dr. Strange is still the biggest domestic opening for an MCU movie in 2022

[Ezyo1000]

I'm not on Twitter but feel free to post the ones that say the film is depressing.

As for this post, nobody's actually said that here. But again, feel free to quote those that did.

That's fine, you don't have to, but I'm not about to scroll back through a ton of pages to find stuff you can find yourself, same with Twitter. Already done that enough with people there, not going to do it here too

[80sbaby]

That's fine, you don't have to, but I'm not about to scroll back through a ton of pages to find stuff you can find yourself, same with Twitter. Already done that enough with people there, not going to do it here too

You made the claim, bruh.

[Emperorjones]

Here's the thing people are ignoring.

This actor and character had become a cultural icon. This specific version of the character had been beloved by many in the audience. It was a rather intimate relationship.

And the actors had a personal relationship. Most of these guys knew him personally. Lupita and Winston went to acting school with the guy, Coogler lived with him for a time as a student.

Having everyone just go along as if nothing happened in the movie would not have gone over well with the audience and wouldn't have been fulfilling for the cast. It simply wouldn't have. Theres times where the cultural relevance becomes a thing in and if itself and you simply couldn't ignore it here i think. I dont think pretending nothing happened in universe would have gone over well with the GA. They needed this little bour of "healimg" and now they can move on later.

I don't want to give the impression that this wasn't a very difficult creative decisions to make or emotionally trying circumstances for cast and crew to work under. And I understand that Black Panther became a mass pop cultural icon in large part due to Chadwick Boseman's portrayal. I was against recasting at first for fear of them doing something like you described here, that it would seem like he was disposable. But when I listened to others and reflected more on what the loss of the character of T'Challa would mean and how it might affect particularly Black males, young males at that, I shifted my stance to pro-recast. While there is a greater dearth when it comes to Black female leads in genre films, there's still a sizable lack of Black males, and there was no character in Hollywood like T'Challa. So, to see that character's story snuffed doesn't sit right with me. I understand the real-world reasons, but I also understand that we are talking about Hollywood, people who are in the business of make believe.

I don't think recasting, if handled with care, would have led to Boseman's memory being dismissed or Boseman being disrespected. There could've been tributes to him throughout such a film, and the very idea that the character he created lives on (and that another actor gets the massive opportunity that Boseman once got) is a tribute in itself. Note, Marvel/Disney has not stopped selling merchandise based on Boseman as T'Challa's likeness.

I am put off a bit by how much the blurring of reality and fiction has happened with this franchise especially when compared to how no one is batting an eye about the recasting of Thunderbolt Ross. The Disney/Marvel suits feel that Ross is needed for Thunderbolts, so there you go, and they even got a bigger star than Hurt to play the role, which potentially eclipses him/his memory further. By not recasting T'Challa, that also says to me that he wasn't as important in the grand scheme of things. The first film already had parceled out some of his traits, and much was made about the cast (more so than in most other Marvel films), and for months we've been inundated with talk that it's the mantle that's more important than who wears it when it comes to T'Challa (which sort of flies in the face of Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and the Captain America story altogether, which very much focuses on how important it is for the individual who gains great power or shoulders great responsibility). Heck almost every MCU film, with so many dual heroes and villains, doubles down on this point, including the first Black Panther. Further, recasting wasn't forbidden before in the MCU (though those weren't under tragic circumstances to be fair here).

From what I've read/heard about Wakanda Forever they do spend time exploring the chasm left by T'Challa's death, and it factors majorly into the film, so I don't want anyone to think that I think that anyone working on that movie took it lightly, or many of the fans who went out to see it.

Though I also think that it would've been better if the movie had been postponed letting the cast and crew work through their grief and then decide where to go next with the franchise, with some emotional distance.

That didn't happen, and this is the movie we got, and this is how the franchise will move into the future. The first weekend box office seems to suggest that people are loving the movie or willing to be charitable to it. Me personally wished that they had went another route, first with recasting, but also with other creative decisions within the film itself. I don't care for what I've heard about the mid-credit scene, which sounds like an awkward compromise with recasters, but seems like it makes T'Challa come across poorly character wise.

I'm not cool with it, but that's okay. I'm just one guy, not even a ripple in the massive flood of money this film will make.

[chief12d]

How long are we going to be stuck talking about this movie when T'Challa is dead?

Exactly lol. The only relevant discussion to T’Challa (who this thread is named after) is how it affects him in other mediums like the gaming world and the comics. As well as that mid credit scene. Those things matter to me more than the movie, what is done is done.

[Will Evans]

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/b...ns-1235431385/

Dr. Strange is still the biggest domestic opening for an MCU movie in 2022

Not surprisingly since it came out in May, compared to November.

[9th.]

To be fair to Chris Hemsworth, he did the best with the stuff he got (which isn't very good)

Oh I completely agree, im more upset that they wasted Bale/Gorr.

[Emperorjones]

Yes, BP 1 was so successful because it disproved that Black led films with high budget couldn't be successful, or that black trauma is all anyone wants to see. It inspired hope I ity, equality between men and women, and showed black people as powerful, not dysfunctional, not needing a white savior, THEY were they're own saviors. And T'Challa was at the center or it. People cried because it was beautiful to see Black people portrayed in such a way.

This time it feels like people are "Crying" because Marvel said so. So many people are saying they balled watching and it just doesn't seem genuine. I could be wrong of course but when you watch a reviewer say "I went into this movie expecting to cry, WANTING to cry, but Marvel didn't get me there " i feel that sends a certain type of message. A RL man's death being monetized

I agree with you. It just felt strange to me that people went into this movie expecting to cry (some perhaps even wanting to). And that the crying, the real-world tragedy behind it was a selling point. If this was a movie about a real-life tragedy, like say, the movie Till, that's one thing, or even Coogler's own Fruitvale Station. Chadwick Boseman's death was tragic, and doubly so because he was so young, but Wakanda Forever wasn't, and didn't need to be, the Chadwick Boseman biopic. Marvel/Disney made that decision to blur those lines.

[Klaue's Mixtape]

Seems like Coogler cant dodge a major issue with his films.

1st one was the 3rd act CGI

This one the storytelling/pacing

Both stem from not having a solid plan for T'Challa. If he had a true vision for T'Challa's fight scene with Killmonger/3rd act then it wouldnt have come down to last minute reshoot.

If he just committed to recasting T'Challa he wouldnt have the story issues/overlong film with this one.

[Toonstrack]

Nobody is ignoring anything because nobody here is saying that. No one said they needed to act like nothing happened. Many here have sympathized and said they should of waited, they didn't have to make the movie now and people would understand, they also mentioned many ways to honor Chad and recognize his passing without making an entire movie resemble his RL death. This is such a weird talking point and one marvel threw out and people parrot while that hasn't been what people were saying at all.

Waiting wouldn't have done anything. They knew this actor and this character FROM that movie so the character was immediately attached to him. Hes probably tied to him for good honestly, legacy wise.

It had to be this movie as a send-off. Nothing else would have done well with the GA. Waiting forever would have just been nonsensical, this is a lucrative franchise with a world and setting people are itching to return to. Now if they are still mounting tchalla in movie 3 you'll have a point.

And you're still not factoring in the folks making this movie were also tied to him. Not just professionally but personally. They weren't going to wait around and hope everyone forgot about him either.

[Toonstrack]

I agree with you. It just felt strange to me that people went into this movie expecting to cry (some perhaps even wanting to). And that the crying, the real-world tragedy behind it was a selling point. If this was a movie about a real-life tragedy, like say, the movie Till, that's one thing, or even Coogler's own Fruitvale Station. Chadwick Boseman's death was tragic, and doubly so because he was so young, but Wakanda Forever wasn't, and didn't need to be, the Chadwick Boseman biopic. Marvel/Disney made that decision to blur those lines.

The movie isn't a biopic in any way shape or form. It is a story about grief and dealing with loss that takes place wholly in its world. The real world connection is there BECAUSE of the impact the first film had. People expected to cry BECAUSE they knew this guy wasn't going to be in it and would be missed. People become attached to fictional characters all the time. Look at all the mourning for Kevin Conroy who was only one of dozens to portray his character, but so many are attached to that depiction.thats exactly what a filmmaker wants actually. They want a connection with the audience that will bring engagement, no filmmaker is going to discard something like that. Even the star wars films people get attached to.