'Black Panther' sequel highlights fierce women of Wakanda, pays homage to Chadwick Boseman

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The sequel to 'Black Panther', entitled 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever', is one of the most anticipated movies of the year.

If you are a 'Black Panther' fan, a lover of all things Marvel, or you just want to see an amazing movie, you only have to wait nine more days.
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The movie recently had an exclusive premiere in NYC, which had the audience cheering loudly before the film even started.

"So I'm expecting people to talk back to the screen tonight. I'm expecting people to laugh out loud and participate," Winston Duke, who stars as "M'Baku", said before the premiere.

Duke's character was far out-numbered in this movie that highlights the strong women of Wakanda.

"There's a great deal of a journey they all go through, and it's, it's not easy. It's not easy what they're dealing with. They are very, very fascinating women in very different ways," Danai Gurira, who plays "Okoye" said about the film's female powerhouses.


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One female character who stands out in this movie is "Shuri", played by Letitia Wright. "Shuri" is the younger sister of "King T'Challa", also known as "Black Panther".

In the first film, the late acting legend Chadwick Boseman played a fierce "King T'Challa". Boseman's untimely death in 2020 left fans devastated and sent Director Ryan Coogler in a different direction with the 'Black Panther' sequel.



Actress Lupita Nyong'o, who plays "War Dog Nakia", heard about Coogler's plans for the sequel over a phone call.

"And I remember feeling a lot of dread taking that phone call because I wasn't ready to imagine Wakanda without Chadwick, but then he walked me through the story and by the end I was in tears. They were tears of relief because he had found a way to move us forward and still honor our loss," Nyong'o said.

Ahead of the movie's debut in theaters, Coogler and members of the cast will head to Miami, Canada, London, and Lagos, Nigeria. The press tour highlights the nature of the film's global appeal.
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'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' opens in less than 10 days and is a Disney production, owned by the same parent company as ABC.

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