Wakanda Forever! The long-awaited sequel to Black Panther is finally here, bringing Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'baku, Okoye, and the rest of our Wakandan friends back to the big screen to pay homage to T'Challa and Chadwick Boseman. Does Black Panther 2 measure up to the Oscar-buzz of the previous movie? How does the film honor the memory of Chadwick, while still moving the story forward? Does Namor get a proper introduction and depiction in the MCU? In this (partially) spoiler free review, I try to answer all those questions for you, film friends! And then, we dive into the meat and potatoes of what I think REALLY makes Ryan Coogler's sequel work: Namor the Sub-Mariner as the antagonist.

Warning: Spoilers ahead in the description and last 2/3 of the video!

There were many rumors that Killmonger would return in Black Panther 2, and I am happy to report that they were...kind of correct. The spirit of Michael B. Jordan's notorious antagonist lives on in Wakanda Forever, both literally making an appearance in the Ancestral Plane, and figuratively in the motivations of Namor and the themes of the movie. Once again, we visit the themes of colonialism, the fight for indigenous resources, the history of slavery and Western imperialism, and how the film's heroes (and anti-heroes/villains) deal with those problems and emotions - all while wrestling with their own legacies and inner demons.

This movie is JAM-PACKED with emotion, and I think Namor's reveal as a sort of Killmonger 2.0 is a fantastic choice. What do I mean, and why do I think that? Watch the video essay following the review to find out!

Oh, and you'll meet my new special friend from Distortions Unlimited if you stick around to the end. Not a sponsor - it's just super cool and I want to share.

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