The first Black Panther movie was so successful because of Ryan Coogler’s perfection, and the extremely impactful cast of characters. The supporting talent involved was at par with Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. And now in his absence, others like Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda and Letitia Wright’s Shuri have stepped up to make Black Panther: Wakanda Forever another great outing. Basset, in particular, showcased her true potential. But surprisingly, she wasn’t always on board with Ryan Coogler’s idea of her fate.
Spoiler Alert: Here’s an obligatory warning for those who haven’t seen Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Angela Bassett’s Argument with Ryan Coogler
Speaking with IndieWire, Angela Bassett revealed that she wasn’t sure of the way Ryan Coogler planned to handle her character. She actually placed an argument for why Queen Ramonda should survive the film. Here’s what she had to say:
“I objected. Yeah, I was like, ‘Ryan, what are you doing? Why? You will rue the day! You will rue the demise of [Ramonda]. People are gonna be so upset.’ He was like, ‘Angela, I know, I know, but look, to die is not really to die in this world. It doesn’t really have to mean that.’”
Coogler’s reply should remind you of what T’Challa said back in Civil War: “In my culture, death is not the end. It’s more of a stepping-off point. You reach out with both hands and Bast and Sekhmet, they lead you into a green veld where you can run forever.” So yes, the director was right as Queen Ramonda did return later in the Ancestral plane. And for this movie to be as powerful as it was, the shocking death of Shuri’s mother was necessary.
Why Queen Ramonda had to Die
Her tragic demise did 4 things. It raised the emotional element of an already emotional film tenfold as many viewers had tears in their eyes; It motivated Riri Williams; It turned Namor into a formidable antagonist and showed us that Marvel meant business where his handling was concerned; And, it made Shuri the kind of protagonist that you’d wanna stand with. After all, losing her mother made her arc even more interesting and tragic.
But with the kind of responsibility she had on her shoulders to pull off a powerful performance, Angela Basset actually began to doubt her own ability. Here’s what she told Variety:
“Almost to the point that I was going to get a complex, like, ‘Am I going to be able to deliver what you’re asking for?’ She had to be strong. She had to be a mother. She had to be a leader. He was just throwing all of this at me. And then on top of that: ‘Can you swim? Can you put your head in water?’”
In the end, Bassett handled things to perfection and you can’t ask for anything more than that! Although, it’d be nice if she returned in a few more Ancestral plane scenes in future Black Panther movies.
Source: Variety
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