Every MCU Movie & TV Show Ranked Worst To Best

With Ryan Coogler behind the camera once more, Black Panther's bittersweet return to the screen is a stunning and heartbreaking portrayal of grief, as its characters struggle with the loss of their king, T'Challa, and the great actor who played him.

At its best when it slows down to let its characters grieve and deal with the fallout from their loss, Wakanda Forever is powerfully performed -- particularly by Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett -- and works wonders to paint its heroes and villains as two sides of the same complex coin.

This symmetry creates striking discussions about history, honour, and family, though the film slowly falls apart as its myriad of subplots pile too high and its villain (Tenoch Huerta's Namor) slips from compelling to disposable.

It's gorgeous in its quieter moments, but Wakanda Forever can't overcome the franchise's formula.