The final film of Marvel's Phase 5 has arrived and it promises to be one of the franchise's most pivotal entries. With the passing of Chadwick Boseman, Director Ryan Coogler spent the past few years into crafting a product that not only delivers a deserving tribute, but elevates the world of Wakanda to the next level. We take a look at this Black Panther Wakanda Forever ending explained and learn what truly went down in this Marvel Cinematic Universe project.
Black Panther Wakanda Forever ending explained
Wakanda Forever, the sequel to the first Black Panther film, starts with Boseman's T'Challa dying from a disease that could have been cured by the heart-shaped herb, as Shuri believes. Before the king passed away, the princess had been working hard to synthetically recreate the said herb after all sources have been burned by Erik Killmonger but failed to do so.
A year after T'Challa's death, nations all around the world are pressuring Wakanda to share their Vibranium, even coming to point where some governments steal the vital resource by illegal means. Ramonda, now Queen of Wakanda, asks Shuri to continue finding a way to recreate the heart-shaped herb to find a new Black Panther to protect their kingdom. For her part, Shuri doesn't want to work on this assignment as she thinks that the Black Panther is a relic of the past.
Meanwhile, the race to obtain Vibranium continues as the CIA uses a machine to detect this metal around the vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean. The search team, along with their corresponding security force, are attacked and eliminated by Namor and a force of Talocan warriors, blue-skinned people who possess the ability to breathe underwater. Without any trace of evidence leading to them, the CIA believes that the Wakandans are responsible for this attack.
Days after the attack, Ramona brings Shuri to camp out near the waters of Wakanda. As she reminds the princess to grieve for her brother, Namor appears from nowhere to speak to the pair. He places the blame on Wakanda and T'Challa's decision to reveal Vibranium to the world as the reason why his people are in danger. Namor adds that the scientist responsible for creating the Vibranium detector should be surrendered to him or his forces will stage an attack on their kingdom. He also urges Ramonda not to let anyone know about him or his kingdom or there will be retribution.
With the permission of Ramonda and the aid of CIA agent Everett Ross, Shuri accompanies Okoye to the United States. They learn that the individual who made the machine is Riri Williams, an MIT student. After agreeing to go to Wakanda, the three are pursued by the FBI and later confronted by a squad of Talocan warriors. Okoye is defeated by Attuma while Shuri and Riri are taken captive for Namor.
Due to the loss of Williams and the princess, Ramonda admonishes Okoye and strips her title as general of the Dora Milaje. The queen then meets Nakia in Haiti and implores for her help to rescue Shuri and Riri. While this is happening, Namor meets the princess and shows her the underwater kingdom of Talocan, a dominion he has defended for centuries and is rich with abundant sources of Vibranium. He goes on to tell Shuri of his people's history and how his mutation helped him fly, become strong, and age slowly. Namor then goes on to tell the princess about his plan to ally with Wakanda against the surface world and promises to destroy her home if they refuse.
At this point, Nakia determines the location of both Shuri and Riri. Donning a special underwater suit, she finds the pair and rescues them from the clutches of several Talocan guards. This leads Namor to retaliate against Wakanda by attacking its capital. As a result, the Talocan ruler drowns Queen Ramonda and destroys a significant portion of the city. He promises to return in a week to learn if the Wakandans will accept his offer or destroy their kingdom if they refuse.
With Namor's threat and the death of her mother in mind, Shuri goes on to work on recreating the heart-shaped herb. She uses the bracelet Namor gave her to synthesize the said herb and ingests it after. This allows Shuri to access the Ancestral Plane where she meets his cousin, Killmonger. The first film's antagonist tells Shuri that she needs to do what's necessary to end Namor's threat and protect Wakanda in the process.
After donning a new suit, Shuri meets with the Wakandan elders in Jabari land. They all congratulate her for becoming the new Black Panther but Shuri is determined to seek revenge against Namor. This prompts M'Baku to advise the princess to prioritize peace above all else.
The following day, Shuri leads a force of Wakandan warriors to the ocean aboard the Sea Leopard. They stage a trap for Namor and bring him aboard a ship that drains all moisture from his body. As this is happening, Okoye, M'Baku, and Riri Williams in an armored suit battle Talocan warriors in the water and on top of their ship.
While onboard Shuri's craft, Namor manages to gather his strength to crash it down onto the shore. The pair fight until Namor stabs the princess with a spear. This prompts the new Black Panther to make the ship's engine explode to defeat Namor. After pointing a spear onto his neck, Shuri offers to protect Talocan from the surface world as long as Namor stops his aggression. Realizing that his people will be consumed by vengeance along with the Wakandans, Namor agrees and they both return to their forces with the Talocan leader ordering his forces to stand down.
Back in his sanctuary, Namora admonishes Namor for surrendering to Shuri. He reminds her that Wakanda needs them because they have no other nations to call as allies. With the threat over, Riri goes back to the United States but leaves behind her suit to prevent any hostilities between her country and Wakanda. It's also revealed that M'Baku challenged for the throne without anyone contesting him for it. Meanwhile, Shuri visits Nakia in Haiti and goes off by herself to burn the garment she wore during T'Challa's funeral as a sign of moving on from his death.
During the mid-credits scene, Nakia, introduces Toussaint, her son with T'Challa. She reveals that they decided to raise him away from the pressure of the throne and that Ramonda herself has already met the boy. For his part, Toussaint reveals that his Wakandan name is T'Challa.
What just happened? A Black Panther Wakanda Forever recap
In Wakanda Forever, MCU fans see the ascension of Shuri as the new Black Panther and the trials she went through in the process. We also see the state of the world after the revelation of Vibranium, and the involvement of Talocan in this rising conflict.
The aftermath of this film brings a new status quo to Wakanda itself with M'Baku seemingly becoming the new king and Shuri as its new protector. Fans are also introduced to Namor, one of Marvel Comics' most intriguing characters, while expanding the lore of Wakanda and the entire Marvel universe itself. It's expected that the introduction of Talocan, along with the involvement of Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, promises to play out in MCU's Phase 5 and beyond.
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