By Published on February 10, 2023

welcome to Comment Comment, where we sit and listen to the filmmakers talk about their work, then share the most interesting parts. In this edition, Rob Hunter revisits Black Panther: Wakanda Forever by Ryan Coogler.


The Marvel Cinematic Universe now has thirty movies, and the most recent entry is new to home video. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had the unenviable task of being a sequel to a movie without its lead actor. Chadwick Boseman’s death was a devastating blow to his family and friends, and on a much lesser note, it created a problem for Marvel and filmmaker Ryan Coogler. They probably manage to deliver a worthy sequel – one that works better in its exploration of grief than in its comic book shenanigans – and just like we did with The first moviewe listened to the commentary track from the sequel.

Keep reading to see what I heard in the commentary of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Commentators: Ryan Coogler (director/co-writer), Joe Robert Cole (co-writer), Autumn Durald Arkapaw (cinematographer)

1. The chaos of the opening scene was shot with a boomerang rig – “a mix between Steadicam and handheld, so it’s not as complicated as handheld.” It was originally planned as a single, but plans have changed.

2. The day spent filming the funeral and march didn’t really feel like filming, but more like a true celebration of Chadwick Boseman’s life.

3. They briefly considered removing the first two scenes – the United Nations sequence where Wakanda is reprimanded and the assault on the research station, both edited together – but when Coogler looked at the result, he felt that “it was the worst movie of all time”.

4. Arkapaw mentions that Coogler’s presence for all the action scenes – something some directors pass on entirely to 2nd Units – results in thoughtful visuals and footage. “I can follow him, he looks full, and I’m glad you like doing all the action because that means as a DP I can be there and I can see him through the process every step of the way. path.”

5. Underwater footage at 1:00 p.m. was shot in an artificial “lake” created in a backlot. They shot night after night as the reservoir was not that deep and sunlight would have been unavoidable.

6. of Shuri (Letitia Wright) hair is short a year after T’Challa’s death, as their research has shown that many cultures on the African continent offer to shave their heads as part of the grieving process.

7. The fireside chat between Shuri and Ramonda (Angela Bassette) at 11:55 p.m. was originally scheduled to be filmed in a “real forest, where there’s like snakes and bugs and mud, and I remember we were doing location scouting and I was like, ‘shooting at night? in the forest? with snakes and insects?’ so I wasn’t too happy about that. A change in schedule caused them to film it on a soundstage instead.

8. M’Baku (Duke Winston) calling Okoye (Danai Gurira) “you’re a bald demon” was a Duke ad-lib. The carrot, however, is in the script.

9. The exterior footage on the MIT campus was actually filmed on the MIT campus. It’s apparently a rarity for them to grant permission, but Coogler is persistent. The dorm is a set, though.

ten. The bridge scene at 47:00 was filmed on a backlot with a 250 foot false bridge road. The fight choreography was intense and exhaustive, and when combined with post-production work, the sequence took almost a year to complete. Coogler referenced David Mamet (very underrated) red belt as an influence for Attuma (Alex Livinalli) position and movement.

11. Coogler is a big, big fan of Julia Louis Dreyfusadding “some of the things she did were too funny for the movie.”

12. Riri is played by Dominique Thorne who first met Coogler when she auditioned for the role of Shuri in the first Black Panther. She was his second choice, so he was thrilled to be able to bring her in for the sequel.

13. Subtitles are color coordinated. “For Western languages, English, Spanish, we used white subtitles. But then blue for Yucatan Mayan, then yellow for Xhosa.

14. Namor (Tenoch Huerta) The flashback-told backstory is meant to shape empathy for him by showing how trauma can freeze you in place. His childhood trauma has locked him in the same rage ever since.

15. The two Talokan residents at 1:14:12 are siblings and competitive swimmers “so they were really comfortable in the pool.”

16. They have shot many underwater performances both in real water and dry to wet. Both were given to Weta’s effects magicians who then used them to create the ideal finished product.

17. The conversation between Ramonda and Namor on the beach was filmed on a small isthmus in Puerto Rico. Coogler was thrilled to find the beach with waves crashing on both sides, suggesting the two were heading for a violent confrontation.

18. Coogler and his friends had bet on whether or not Lupita Nyong’o (like Nakia) would spill the liquid at 1:52:50. This was a concern as they only had one outfit for Shuri, but Nyong’o was a pro at casting.

19. When Shuri comes out of the water at 1:53:29, his clothes aren’t wet because they actually filmed him upside down.

20. It was Michael B. JordanThe idea is for Killmonger’s hair to be up to look like Ramonda in the back chair.

21. Arkapaw remembers how Coogler occasionally reminded them that this was still a comic book movie, so some atypical angles are encouraged. “It must be a little ridiculous, yes,” adds Coogler.

22. Late 1985s come and see was a direct inspiration for the flashback montage as Shuri considered killing Namor. “Pretty intense,” says Coogler.

23. Coogler had established in the first film that no Wakandans would be seen wearing predominantly black attire other than the Black Panther. It continues here, and he remembers laughing when the sequel’s first trailer dropped and it featured a shot of Shuri in black – even as viewers started to wonder/debate who it might be. the new Black Panther.

24. They don’t explain the choice to list “Special Guest Star: Richard Schiff” in the end credits before the cast list scrolls – which also includes Richard Schiff?

Best comment without context

“Lots of mirror images reflecting scenes from the first movie in this one.”

“When you have more width, sometimes people feel more epic.”

“If this scene doesn’t work for you, then the movie won’t work for you.”

“When you were writing this, what were you thinking? When I read it, my eyes exploded in my head.

“I have to go to McDonalds every day to get one of these figurines, so thanks for that Ryan.”

“You find out who you are when you lose everything.”

“Ludwig has gone pretty mad.”

Final Thoughts

As with his commentary for the first film, Coogler here delivers an informative, illuminating, and appreciative listen to his entire cast and crew. He and the others talk about directing techniques, what prompted certain scenes, and so on. It’s clear the three have a deep respect for each other and a sincere love for the film, and while they won’t reveal any secrets or offer any clues for the future, it’s still a great track for fans of the film and the MCU.

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Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird considering he’s so young. He is our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and cites “Broadcast News” as his favorite film of all time. Don’t hesitate to say hello if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.