Marvel Studios Assembled continues to give us a look behind the scenes into the making of our favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe projects. The latest installment takes us into the making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which obviously carries a lot of weight with it as the cast and crew was still dealing with the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman.
Much like the film itself, this behind-the-scenes look is very emotional. Hearing from the cast about what it was like to work on the film after the passing of Boseman is certainly moving as they al clearly had a very strong family dynamic. One moment in particular that is sure to bring a tear to your eye is a passionate speech from director Ryan Coogler, who struggles to get his words out as he talks about the king.
One thing Assembled never fails to highlight is the cast of the film. The existing Black Panther cast – Letitia Wright, Angele Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and Winston Duke – all gets the chance to talk about what it was like to reunite with one another. It’s also very interesting to hear what it was like for them to create this new film after everything they had been through together since the first.
Of course, the new cast gets a chance to shine as well. Dominique Thorne, who plays Riri Williams, shares her thoughts on what it was like to step into the MCU. We also learn that she originally auditioned to play Shuri in the first film and we even get to see some of her audition. She is not alone though as Tenoch Huerta, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli also get their time in the spotlight. The personalities of all three actors really come through and it’s nice to get to know them a bit more before they surely become a big part of the MCU going forward.
And speaking of those character from Talokan, the doc also spends a great deal of time allowing us to see how they shot the underwater scenes. Some of the equipment and techniques employed to shoot this film are incredibly impressive. From hearing some of the cast brag about how long they can hold their breath, to seeing the practical suits they used for some scenes, we really get to see a lot of how these parts of the film were created.
Outside of its people and vibranium, there are two things Wakanda and the Black Panther films are known for. The first is the costumes, as we get to see a lot of the thought process that went into the creation of the costumes for this film. We get to see that Shuri’s Panther costume was a blend of T’Chaka, T’Challa and Killmonger, with all three of their suits sort of coming together in hers. We also get to see the making of the incredible Talokan costumes, specifically Namor’s, which is one of the most impressive in the history of the MCU.
The other element Wakanda is known for is the music and we unfortunately don’t get to hear much about the soundtrack or score for this film. Ludwig Goransson once again created an unforgettable score for this sequel and global superstar Rihanna created her first new music in years for the soundtrack. It certainly would have been interesting to see how either one of those came to be.
Overall, The Making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is yet another great addition to the Assembled series. This one certainly has more weight to it than previous installments given the circumstances, but it still mostly follows the same formula. It’s definitely an interesting watch for anyone who enjoyed the film.
Marvel Studios Assembled – The Making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now streaming on Disney+.