It’s safe to say that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be an emotional watch. The follow-up to Marvel’s massively successful, most critically acclaimed movie of all time has been five years in the making. In that time, it was hit with an unprecedented setback: leading man Chadwick Boseman, aka Prince T’Challa (Black Panther) himself, died of cancer in 2020. Production on the sequel had not yet begun.
Losing your star is never easy, especially when they have a role deeply entrenched in the biggest cinematic franchise ever. But director Ryan Coogler appears to have harnessed that deep sadness to create something cathartic, not just mournful. The film’s latest trailer, released Monday, is a powerful preview of how he’ll fill the Boseman-sized hole. Wakanda Forever is a movie centered on the women of Wakanda—T’Challa’s beloved family, who take up the mantle in his stead.
It’s emotional from the get-go, as T’Challa’s iconic mask is carried out in a funeral procession. A mural of his face now stands tall in Wakanda; the nation is dressed in white as a mark of their grief.
