See Ryan Coogler’s Emotional Message About Black Panther
Black Panther; Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler has penned an emotional thank-you to the fans who have supported the film.
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Since first pouncing onto screens earlier this month, the Ryan Coogler-directed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been an immediate fan favorite, with eager MCU lovers flocking to theaters to see the follow-up tale. Thrilled that people have welcomed his second Marvel feature with such open arms, Coogler shared his thanks and gratitude in a moving Twitter post. Naming everyone from the “young ones” to the “elders” who’ve helped to make the feature a major success, Coogler penned an incredibly thoughtful and heartfelt message.
“Gratitude,” is the first word that Ryan Coogler uses as he begins his thank you to Black Panther audiences. He shares that feeling for everyone who “camped out opening weekend” to be the first wave of viewers, to communities who bought up every last seat in their local theater for their youth to have premiere access to Coogler’s second installment in the franchise. And his gratitude doesn’t stop there.
Ryan Coogler goes on to thank those who supported the incredibly important story behind the second Black Panther film which takes a deep dive into grief in a way that other Marvel movies haven’t done quite yet. He acknowledges that the film was “an emotional journey” and is grateful that fans were able to honor the late Chadwick Boseman alongside the cast and crew of the feature who were creating something in his honor. He also throws in a witty thanks to those who were able to wait out a trip to the bathroom during the two-and-a-half-hour-long feature.
For anyone who’s seen the Ryan Coogler-helmed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it’s easy to understand why audiences were able to hold their bladders. The film is an action-packed study of grief that delivers on the emotion of losing a loved one too soon and clinging to your community for support. It’s much more than a superhero flick, and that’s something that has certainly kept fans talking.
If you haven’t seen it yet, the follow-up to Ryan Coogler’s 2018 Black Panther, is of course packed with action and adventure and displays new threats pressing against Wakanda and threatening its very existence. But, the film also deals with the crushing grief and devastation after the passing of King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), and how those close to him are dealing with the loss. Many of the memorable characters from the first film are back including Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Ayo (Florence Kasumba), and Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) with new characters introduced to the Marvel fold like Riri Williams aka Ironheart (Dominique Thorne) and Namor (Tenoch Huerta) who have been making big waves with audiences.
To wrap up his love letter to fans, Ryan Coogler says that “the medium” for him and other directors to make films like Black Panther wouldn’t survive without those who go to see it, and that through his story, he was hoping to give back to those who’ve allowed him to have “an emotional outlet.” Writing that he’s already excited for what he’ll be able to create down the line, the filmmaker signs his name and under it pens, “Liik’k Talokan, Wakanda Forever, Chadwick Forever, Long Live T’Challa.” Excuse us while we grab our tissues.
