For nearly a decade and a half, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has built a spectacular brand, one that not only delivers with action-packed thrills and unforgettable humor, but one that’s also developed multidimensional characters and hearty storylines. As a result, the MCU has impacted countless moviegoers, evident by Marvel’s continued box office dominance. Yet, in 2020, nothing hit MCU fans harder than the shocking, unexpected passing of the uber-talented Black Panther star, Chadwick Boseman. Fans everywhere felt this loss and what better way to connect with audiences than to make this heartbreaking reality a driving force behind the newly released sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The film opens with a small taste of non-fiction as somewhere offscreen King T’Challa is laying on his death bed, fighting a relentless illness as his sister, Shuri (played by Letitia Wright), unsuccessfully scrambles around her science lab trying to conjure up a way to save his life. The loss of T’Challa is devastating but Wakanda must persevere as Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) assumes the throne. In doing so, she rebels against the world’s desire for Wakanda to share their precious and powerful resource, Vibranium, only to discover that it also exists within a hidden world in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

Ryan Coogler’s follow-up entry is even more bold than its predecessor. The filmmaker tackles the difficult challenge of expanding the construct of the MCU all while creating an emotionally layered cinematic experience. Where Doctor Strange 2 saw Sam Raimi pull-off an innovative superhero/horror mashup, Wakanda Forever serves as Coogler’s attempt at a heavy-hitting drama with a superhero backdrop. The film’s characters, especially Shuri and Ramonda, are greatly expanded by a central story that marinates in the realities of the grieving process. Wakanda Forever’s earnest dramatics are clearly in the driver’s seat as they fit to both the royal family’s crushing loss, as well as a whole new world of Marvel characters. But despite this marked difference to the standard MCU formula, Coogler still manages to stay true to the core essence of these comic book heroes by allowing scientific prowess to be the difference-maker in defeating their foe.

Wakanda Forever should be lauded for its ambition and heralded for its execution. The film addresses a wide variety of emotions and introduces another sympathetic antagonist that should impact the MCU both in the present and the future. We've been gifted a true epic, and one that's felt for the entirety of its necessary two-and-a-half hour running time. Coogler’s latest pushes well beyond the traditional superhero entry and stands as both a beautifully crafted homage to Chadwick Boseman and a refreshingly strong effort for Phase Four of the MCU.