The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cast deserves all their flowers (Picture: AP)
If you’re among the millions who flocked to cinemas to watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever last weekend, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say Angela Bassett and Letitia Wright acted their hearts out.
I’m not the biggest Marvel fan and have probably only seen a handful of the 30 movies the studio has released since 2008, but none have made me feel all the feelings like Wakanda Forever did – not even Thanos’ snap, which wiped out half the universe in Avengers: Infinity War – sorry, not sorry.
But, Wakanda Forever evoked something especially magical yet equally heartbreaking.
At times, I had goosebumps, wanted to cry and even occasionally cheer as the Wakandans navigated their new reality without King T’Challa. But deep down, I knew that each and every main cast member was truly channelling their very real grief over the death of Chadwick Boseman, the franchise’s lead star who died in August 2020 after battling cancer.
With Boseman sadly no longer with us, Wakanda Forever positions two of its strongest female figures as the new leaders with Queen Ramonda (Bassett) carrying his torch and later Shuri (Wright), and they are electrifying to watch in their own way.
One scene in particular has proven to be a favourite, with Ramonda delivering a fiery dressing down of Okoye (Danai Gurira) who suffers the queen’s wrath after betraying her trust. I’ve seen Bassett in almost all forms of character, from the vulnerable Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It to the fun and flirty lead in rom-com How Stella Got Her Groove Back, but this scene in Wakanda Forever might just be up there with one of my favourite performances from her to date.
Angela Bassett, here with Danai Gurira, put on one of the most solid performances of her career (Picture: Marvel)
Letitia Wright (r) delivered a powerfully delicate turn as Shuri (Picture: Marvel)
Wright, on the other hand, is powerful in a completely different way. Her new take on Shuri’s emotional journey is nuanced, at times delicate, yet packs a punch and, yes, the princess can still be funny as hell.
They make a downright dynamic duo and it would honestly be a travesty if they were to be snubbed from the Oscar nominations next year, particularly Bassett.
But then, Marvel doesn’t have the greatest track record when it comes to nominations in the acting categories at the Oscars.
Black Panther (2018) remains the blockbuster studio’s biggest success at the awards, receiving seven nominations in 2019 including best picture and best original song, winning best original score for Ludwig Göransson, best costume design for Ruth E Carter and best production design.
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Boseman wasn’t recognised for best actor and Ryan Coogler missed out on a nomination for best director, but he’s absolutely earned at least a nod for his impeccable work on Wakanda Forever.
When it comes to next year’s Oscars, Bassett and Wright might need a miracle to receive nominations in the best actress and supporting categories given the Academy tends to sidestep acting performances in superhero movies – Joaquin Phoenix’s success with Joker in 2020 remains a rare feat.
However, Wakanda Forever has proven that Marvel can be more than just action and CGI – there can be real emotion in it too.
The Oscars have been forced to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the film industry, with streaming giants such as Netflix now seeing their pictures going up in the main categories. So, it should have no problem doing it again with superhero movies too.
It was 1993 when Bassett received an Oscar nomination for What’s Love Got To Do With It, wouldn’t it be a beautiful thing for her to come full circle exactly 30 years later, earning recognition with another of her most emotional performances?
I might not hold my breath but I’ll certainly have hope.
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Marvel blockbusters typically do not fare well in the major categories at the Academy Awards.
