Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverdebuts in cinemas this Friday, and it is safe to say that the atmosphere surrounding this particular MCU project is filled with an array of high emotions. Alongside the excitement that accompanies all Marvel films,Wakanda Foreverhas also beennamed a powerful tributeto the lateChadwick Bosman,whose portrayal of T’Challa as the original titular hero instantly captivated fans, back in 2018. In light of this,Wakanda Foreverwill join the characters after theloss of the beloved King T’Challa, exploring the impact of grief on Wakanda as a cohesive nation, and on those closest to him. Playing a vital role in conveying the struggle of losing a loved one whilst dealing with the pressures of protecting a nation will be the return of T’Challa’s mother, Queen Ramonda, played by Academy Award nomineeAngela Bassett.
But who is Queen Ramonda? And what can be expected from her in this highly anticipated sequel?
Complicated, Courageous, and Compassionate
To address this question, it is wise to start with the depiction of Queen Ramonda in the Marvel comics, where she has a complicated story. After reuniting a lost young T’Challa with his father, King T’Chaka, she is offered refuge. Despite some animosity about Ramonda due to her being an outsider, she and the King fall in love, marry, and Ramonda gives birth to Shuri. Years later, Ramonda is kidnaped by a powerful politician and held captive for many years, but the people of Wakanda believe she has had an affair, so no efforts are made to rescue her. However, when T’Challa becomes King, he becomes aware of Ramonda’s circumstances and rescues her, restoring her as Queen. Through this origin story, it is revealed that Ramonda is a courageous and noble woman with a closeness to T’Challa that has since been portrayed in the MCU.
However, so far on the big screen, there has been little opportunity to experience the full extent of Queen Ramonda’s character, simply because the previous movies have much larger plots that go beyond her. For example, inBlack Panther,the focus is on the struggle of T’Challa to lead Wakanda and defeat a challenger to the throne, Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), whilst inAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame, she is just one of the many warriors and superheroes risking their lives to fight Thanos (Josh Brolin). However, in spite of these limited appearances, the fundamental nature of her character is present and there is much to learn.
Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda holds herself as a strong woman who cares deeply for both her family and her country. InBlack Panther,Ramonda’s bond with her son is carried through from the comics to the film, as she stands firmly loyal to T’Challa when he is challenged for the throne by Erik Killmonger. Later in the film, she presents herself as resourceful and wise, refusing to use the Heart-shaped Herb for previous rival M’Baku (Winston Duke), instead using it to bring T’Challa out of his coma and restore his Black Panther powers, then motivating him to defeat Killmonger. Meanwhile, the fate of Wakanda is a concern that remains at the front of her mind, even after being forced into exile with daughter Shuri (Letitia Wright), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), and CIA Agent Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) after T’Challa is apparently killed in ritual combat. Not only is she Queen in title, but she is also Queen in principle.
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Queen Ramonda in ‘Wakanda: Forever’
Ramonda’s comic origins and her previous MCU appearances emphasize the values underpinning her character, which is likely to be further developed inWakanda Forever.As this sequel isset during a chaotic period of time,Ramonda will need to be incredibly resilient - she will have the monumental challenge of enduring the hardship of grief whilst upholding her political responsibility as a leader. Her pain andstrength can be heard in the teaser trailer as she cements her loyalty to her country: “I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world and my entire family is gone. Have I not given everything?’
This simple sentence encompasses the suffering she has endured at a personal level, through the loss of her son (and not for the first time - both T’Challa and Shuri were disintegrated during Thanos’ Snap), yet her defiant tone conveys her continued willingness to fight and protect Wakanda. Her endurance will be necessary. The teaser trailers haveintroduced the King of Atlantis, Namor the Sub-Mariner(Tenoch Huerta), as the anti-hero in this sequel, with Ramonda as one of the key characters who will face him. No doubt she will stay true to her character as she confidently asserts in the second trailer:“We know what you whisper: ‘They have lost their protector.’ Now is our time to strike. Show them who we are.”
Women of Colour Are Front and Center
The journey of Queen Ramonda in the aftermath of T’Challa’s death will be just one of the stories told inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever.Thetrailers and postershave indicated that the women of Wakanda will be taking the lead in this sequel, with the return of Shuri, T’Challa’s younger sister, and favorite to become the next Black Panther, as well as war-dog spy Nakia and Okoye (Danai Gurira), head of the all-female honor guard. This will be alongsidethe introduction of new charactersRiri Williams/Ironheart(Dominique Thorne) and combat instructor,Aneka(Michaela Coel).
The decision to concentrate on the women of Wakanda may appear to be driven by an agenda of gender inclusivity, however, producerNate Mooreand directorRyan Cooglerspoke at a press conference reported byScreen Rantabout how the opposite was true. They explained that the focus “wasn’t about gender directly. It was about who would be most affected” by the loss of T’Challa. Subsequently, it is expected thatWakanda: Foreverwill explore the effect of grief on identities in a way that will enable viewers to truly sympathize with the characters, whilst also powerfully representing Black women, such as Queen Ramonda, in the most natural way.
