This article contains major spoilers, so stay tuned for updates below.. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever It was an emotional and powerful journey through the universe of the black mask hero. One that, moreover, had to pass through a complex space, being both a posthumous tribute and a new adventure. Between that and the other, Ryan Coogler managed to reconcile points of view in a new look at every element that is part of the mythology associated with Wakanda. Which also allowed for the return of one of his most beloved characters.
After years of speculation, Erik Killmonger played by Michael B. Jacksonreturned to the universe of a fictional African country in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But things didn’t go the way many fans expected. Actually, the return happened through the Wakanda Ancestral Plane. The exception makes apparent two interesting points around the figure of the remembered villain discussing his possible return with interest.
First, that the character is dead. At least when it comes to the timeline in which the Marvel Cinematic Universe takes place. Also, despite his behavior, Killmonger is still of great interest in Black Panther’s history. So much so that it is his figure that appears in front of Shuri (Letitia Wright) when she consumes the heart-shaped artificial version of grass.
An astonishing circumstance when you consider that, for the Crown Princess, Killmonger died as a sworn enemy of his family. Why Black Panther: Wakanda Forever decided to analyze your figure in this way? The explanation may be part of the depth of the plot and the symbolic elements that the film intelligently explores.
From the land of memory to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Ironically, Shuri made contact with her deceased cousin on the Ancestral Plane. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever It was a shared moment. When the new heroine eats the heart-shaped herb, she is filled with rage. His mother has just been killed by Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and his village has been attacked by the people of Talokan. But, if that wasn’t enough, the character already had to deal with the possibility of his country being expropriated and defiled by foreign powers.
For Shuri, who is in the first movie defended the quality of uninhabited territory in Wakanda, the possibility of damage to vibranium is painful. Much more after the death of his entire family and the likelihood that he would have to fight to defend his country alone. So one day on the Ancient Plane, instead of finding T’Challa or his father T’Chaka, he runs into his cousin.
Recall that the original Black PantherKillmonger was filled with rage, a thirst for revenge and justice. Not only because he suffered for most of his life at the hands of his fellow citizens. Also because of the realization of what he saw as the violent indifference on the part of his country of origin towards the rest of the world and its pain. So Killmonger became the center version of power corrupted by resentment.
So when Shuri got access to the Ancient Plane in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever he had more in common with his deceased relative than with his immediate family. At that moment, they were united by the same emotions. Killmonger, who briefly ruled Wakanda, wanted to avenge the memory of his murdered father. Just like Shuri finally adopted the Black Panther costume.
A painful but powerful scene that brings the character back to the present.
Once on the Ancient Plane, Killmonger tells Shuri that she is “completely different from T’Challa”. Also, it reminds him that his late brother prevented him from killing the man responsible for T’Chaka’s death. “All for nobility,” Killmonger complains angrily. It is then that he suggests that Shuri is much more like him than they both realized. So he insists that there is only one way. Kill Namor, satisfy the cruel justice of death and stop the war between Wakanda and Talokan.
But at the end Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shuri doesn’t want to follow her cousin’s path.. He not only does not kill his enemy, but also makes it clear that he does it out of nobility. An extraordinary moment reflecting that becoming a Black Panther is more than just a name. It is also a journey through the perception of good and evil that honors the name and the legacy it symbolizes.
