You know, there was a time when anticipation for Wakanda Forever consisted primarily of cautious pessimism. For, the movie had been delayed due to a multitude of reasons, cloaked in controversy regarding the behavior of one of its lead actors, while also dealing with the blowback from choosing not to recast the late Chadwick Boseman. It seemed as if the movie had a lot going against it, despite the rapturous reception of its predecessor. But then, that trailer dropped…

You remember the trailer, released during Comic-Con weekend. Featuring a beautiful blending of No Woman No Cry with Alright, the film’s first trailer hit on the story’s emotion and the tragic truth behind the camera. There’s a meta quality to the storytelling – Chadwick is no longer here, and neither is T’Challa. The scenes in the trailer were beautifully shot, the action exciting, and Angela Bassett’s breathtaking speech – inspiring. It was as if Ryan Coogler, not Kendrick Lamar, was telling the fans we’ll be alright; he’s got this. It instantly became the must-see next superhero movie, a needed respite given how hit or miss Phase 4 of the MCU has been thus far. At the center of the film’s hype is one relevant thematic question – who will take over the mantle of Black Panther?

But before we can fill those shoes, Wakanda’s conflict must be addressed. For it seems, in the wake of losing their king, Wakanda is under attack. Exactly whom will be detailed by the movie, although the marketing has poised Wakanda in combat with the sometimes hero, often anti-hero, Namor (Tenoch Huerta). However, it wouldn’t be the first time a Marvel movie pulled a bait-and-switch with its marketing. Finally making his big-screen debut, Namor figures to play the key role in the movie as we get to know him and the world of Atlantis. Yet, we don’t know where the aquatic superbeing’s allegiances lie or what’s his motivation. However, we do know that his arrival is one of the most exciting additions to the MCU in years, further evidenced by the movie’s solid Trailer 2:

The latest trailer doesn’t entirely lay out the details of the plot, which is a good thing. The selling points are the visual aesthetic, action, and what hopes to be a commanding performance from Huerta. We see M’Baku (Winston Duke) talk about Namor as if he’s to be a feared Deity with a dangerous following, someone you don’t want to piss off. You can even draw Wrath of Khan vibes with how the antagonist’s presence upends the characters’ lives.

Leadership will be a major theme of the story. Namor is an ambitious leader. Yet, Wakanda is seen as a country without a leader. So what trials will the likes of Shuri (Letitia Wright), Queen Ramonda (Bassett), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), and Okoye (Danai Gurira) have to endure to prove everyone wrong? Without a King, Wakanda is a sitting duck for its embarrassment of resources, namely vibranium. But the most incredible heroics occur when everyone counts you out.

There’s also an interesting nugget within this movie, which consists of the casting of Dominique Thorne as Ironheart. Positioned as a successor to Ironman, she’ll be getting her own Disney+ show in the near future. However, I hope her appearance here is crucial to the storytelling of this movie and not just a distracting advertisement for a future project. If it feels like she’s just tacked on, it does a disservice to both the movie and the character. It’s also worth wondering to what capacity, if any, the memory of Tony Stark will be evoked to frame the character’s motivation.

But what may decide if this movie hits a home run is if it nails the story of who gets to assume the role of Black Panther. I won’t speculate on who that may be, although we all have our assumptions, as I want the movie to sell me on that person’s story, whoever it may be. But to do so, Wakanda Forever must dramatize an unsettling truth – we may be able to choose our heroes, but we can’t choose when we lose them. Boseman’s unexpected passing mirrors how often Black figures are snatched from the public consciousness. Wakanda Forever may be just a movie, but it’s also not – it’s real people who emotionally affect the community it speaks to. T’Challa may come back one day, but Chadwick can never. So whoever is awarded the costume and symbol that is Black Panther is forever linked to the mourning of an iconic actor and a worthy superhero. Hopefully, the result will be a story worth telling.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters everywhere on November 11, 2022.