Making a “Black Panther” sequel without its Black Panther — following the tragic and untimely death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020 — was always going to be a challenge, and it’s a testament to director and co-writer Ryan Coogler that “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is as entertaining and affecting as it is.
At the same time, like so many sequels before it, “Wakanda Forever” doesn’t land with the same power as its predecessor. That can be partially pinned on the issues that plague any second chapter, where the freshness of the first film has been incorporated into popular culture, but there’s more to it: This is a movie that wants to wrap its arms around grief and loss, and to consider the transfer of power in a royal family, while also introducing a new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that necessitates origin stories for a major character and his heretofore hidden kingdom.