Wakanda Forever is a cut above most comic book movies in many aspects, many of those aspects were what made the first Black Panther such a sensation. The complex characters, the gorgeous design of the world and the costumes, the musical score, Ryan Coogler’s knack for directing action. This film acts as both a tribute to Chadwick Boseman’s character and a proper sequel to the first film.

The problem with this film is how monstrously bloated it is. There’s enough unnecessary filler to become the pilot episode for a new Disney+ MCU series. Martin Freeman’s character returns in his own separate side plot that adds absolutely nothing to the story. There’s a new sidekick character could have easily been removed from the film and almost nothing would change. There are like 3 scenes dedicated to explaining why Lupita N’yongo wasn’t in Endgame. 

And it’s a damn shame all this filler makes the film drag horribly, because the central narrative is actually really cool! I thought Namor and his army were badass and I wanted to see more of the dynamics between them and the Wakandans.

This is probably the best MCU project of the entire year, but it’s still a disappointment compared its potential.