Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreveris the highly-anticipated second installment of the belovedBlack Pantherfranchise, and it hit theatres on the 11th of this month. Mere days after its premiere, global fans can’t help but rave abouthow goodCoogler’s movie is— a beautifully written and strong tribute that beams with meaning and powerful performances (possiblyAngela Bassett’s finest), interesting new characters, and a very compelling plot.
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Frankly, there is no doubt that the film exceeded many expectations. Featuring a good dose of surprising references and fun easter eggs along the way,Black Panther 2quickly cemented itself to be one of theMCU’s best and most emotional films to date. To celebrate it, here’s a recap of unexpected (but very welcome) surprises in the film.
Scott Lang’s Book & Thor’s New Asgard
Early on in the film when the Breaking News of King T’Challa of Wakanda’s death are announced, Scott Lang’s (Paul Rudd) new memoir “Look Out for the Little Guy,” first mentioned in theAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniatrailer, makes a very short, blink-and-you’ll-miss appearance in a news bulletin of a CNN broadcast, featuring a cameo from the well-known American broadcasterAnderson Cooper. It turns out that Lang was doing a publicity tour for his book during the events of the film.
Because one superhero reference is not enough, in another CNN broadcast that informs the world that Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) has died, a treaty at New Asgard is mentioned in the ticker, showcasing a very familiar setting where the Asgardians settled after the downfall of their home.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is Back
Having last appeared inBlack Widowand most recently in the Disney+ seriesThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier,Julia Louis-Dreyfus' character makes a surprising and solid comeback in the secondBlack Pantherinstallment — not only do audiences learn that Valentina is the head of the CIA, as she also is the ex-wife of Okoye’s (Danai Gurira) favorite colonizer, Ross (Martin Freeman).
Louis-Dreyfus is confirmed to reprise her role in 2024’sThunderbolts, which revolves around a group of reformed supervillains and morally ambiguous heroes, includingFlorence Pugh’s Yelena andSebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes. Val’s appearance inWakanda Foreverultimately means that she will likely play a major role in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rihanna Also Exists in the MCU
When Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Okoye went on a quest to get the mastermind behind the first machine in history capable of detecting vibranium, the prizedGeneral of the Dora Milajecouldn’t help feeling a little bit self-conscious about her makeup. To calm her nerves, she asked Shuri whether or not she applied the right shade of foundation.
Eventually, the Wakandian Princess confirms that Rihanna and her fabulous makeup brand do indeed exist in the superhero universe by saying, “It’s the right shade, Fenty 440. You look good." Turns out that Marvel and Fenty Makeup are the ultimate duo we didn’t know we needed.
Riri Williams and Tony Stark Parallels
Starting off with Riri hammering out her Ironheart suit from a slab of metal (in a sleeveless tank top, just likeRobert Downey Jr.’s Stark in the firstIron Manmovie), there were a lot of extremely heartwarming Iron Man/IronHeart parallels inWakanda Forever, including how similar Riri and Tony’s Mark I suits are — both incomplete and unpainted.
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While Riri is a completely different character who is slowlymaking a name for herself(something we are all very much looking forward to),Black Panther 2offers fans a couple of fun Iron Man references, including that one time Riri goes too high and loses consciousness from lack of oxygen, taking us back to all those times Tony did the same to save others.
Namor Is a Confirmed Mutant
In the newBlack Pantherfilm, fans get an in-depth look into Namor’s (Tenoch Huerta) backstory and origins, including his and his people’s life underwater and the source of his powers.In the comics, Namor is commonly referred to as “Marvel’s first mutant,” and although that is hardly any news, he is the second mutant, ever since Disney acquired Fox, to be officially recognized as one in the MCU (only afterIman Vellaniess’Ms. Marvel).
RELATED:Is Namor a Mutant in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’?
This could potentially mean that when it comes to laying the groundwork for the X-Men,Wakanda Foreveris the most important MCU project. We would not be surprised if Coogler’s latest movie has already incited tons of interesting X-Men fan theories.
Aneka and Ayo Are (Probably) in a Relationship
There’s a very brief moment where the two Dora Milaje warriors share affection, and that’s when audiences first get a hint towards them being romantically linked. The scene suggests that the two women are in a relationship when Aneka (Michaela Coel) kisses Ayo (Florence Kasumba) on the forehead and she replies, “Thank you, my love."
Although the movie barely features LGBTQ representation, the scene was cut for Kuwait Release, according toHollywood Reporter. Nevertheless, Coel recently revealed toVoguethat her character’s relationship was one of the reasons she took on the part: “That sold me on the role, the fact that my character’s queer." It’s safe to say that we are all super excited about this relationship and hope to see it flourish in the future.
Shuri Sees Killmonger in the Ancestral Plane
Shuri was not the only one who was surprised to seeMichael B. Jordan’s Killmonger again — many fans agree that his unexpected cameo was one of the most surprising things about the film. After the Wakandian Princess manages to create a syntheticheart-shaped herbto take on the powers of the Black Panther, she eventually drinks it only to find her cousin in the Ancestral Plane.
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Killmonger is, of course, the first to encourage revenge. However, Shuri ultimately shows Namor mercy and forces him to surrender in an arc that perfectly mirrors T’Challa’s. InCaptain America: Civil War, when facing his father’s killer,Chadwick Boseman’s beloved character remarks: “Vengeance has consumed you. It’s consuming them. I’m done letting it consume me.” Shuri’s “Vengeance has consumed us. We cannot let it consume our people,” is its perfectWakanda Forevercounterpart.
All Those Beautiful Chadwick Boseman Tributes
MCU’s latest opening crawl is one of the most heartbreaking parts of the film — and it happens before a lof of the good stuff actually begins. In a touching gesture, Marvel uses its intro to pay a tribute to the actor: Instead of resorting to the usual character montage, the crawl features several silent shots of T’Challa, giving the audience a chance to mourn the loss of both Boseman and his character.
Part of what makes the secondBlack Pantherinstallment so forceful are the multiple homages throughout thedeeply moving film, including that themid-credits scenethat no one saw coming.Wakanda Foreveris ultimately a beautiful film that shines a powerful light on rage and the grieving journey, never once rushing without Boseman but reflecting on his loss instead.
NEXT:All of Ryan Coogler’s Movies Ranked From ‘Black Panther’ to ‘Creed’
