The highly anticipated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is coming on November 11, but thankfully Marvel released a new tantalizing trailer to keep us going. The new trailer has everything that makes a phenomenal piece of Black Pather marketing: great music, fantastic visuals, and goosebump-inducing dialogue. It also gives fans a longer look at the main antagonist, Ironheart, and the newest hero to take up the mantle of Black Panther.
Beginning with the emotional mourning and celebration of the late T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) life, the trailer moves between Wakanda and the Aztec-influenced Talokan, a version of Atlantis. Wakandans dressed in white as Namor, the leader of Talokan and main antagonist, adds to a mural. This weaving back and forth contrasts the two main cultures in the movie and where they are at the beginning of the story. Wakanda is mourning, and Talokan is gearing up for war.
“Only the most broken people can be great leaders” seems like a dangerous ideology, so it’s fitting that this is Namor’s opening line. M’Baku (Winston Duke) explains that the people of Talokan don’t view Namor (played by Tenoch Huerta) as a simple king or general. They call him the “feather serpent god,” showing a level of reverence that supports M’Baku’s point that killing Namor would cause a neverending war with the underwater nation. The feather part references the winged boots that allow him to fly like Mercury from Greek mythology. He has dominion in both water and sky, which makes him a serious opponent.
Of course, Wakanda is full of worthy contenders as well! Queen Ramonda (Angela Basset) is not going down without a fight. She tells the world, “We know what you whisper. ‘They have lost their protector. Now is our time to strike,'” and the speech is followed by scenes of Ironheart (Dominique Thorne) in her new armor as well as Wakandans fighting back with their Vibranium spears and tech. She finishes the trailer with, “Show them who we are,” and a female Black Panther sticks the landing, sending a wave of chills over every fan.
The major Marvel movies lately have had mixed reviews. The latest Doctor Strange movie seemed to lack any sort of heart and made a wonderful character into a warped, evil version of herself just to suit the story. Meanwhile, many fans criticized Thor: Love and Thunder for caring more about cheap jokes than the story. However, the power of this trailer alone bodes well for the third Black Panther movie. The emotion, the premise, and the new antagonist all work towards the Marvel magic formula that makes us cheer for superheroes.
Though the movie will be released in theaters on November 11, you can already buy your ticket in some places! So if you are a movie premiere kind of person, you might want to secure your Black Panther: Wakanda Forever tickets now.