Black Panther: Wakanda Forever closed out Phase 4 of the MCU near the end of last year, bringing viewers an action-packed and emotional journey in the Black Panther sequel. The movie saw Wakanda grieve the loss of T’Challa/Black Panther (the late Chadwick Boseman), especially through the lens of his sister, Shuri. In the aftermath of his death, Shuri soon found herself confronting a new foe: Namor and his underwater kingdom Talokan. Like its predecessor, Wakanda Forever is a visual feast, due in part to its expansive costume design. A new featurette gives viewers a deeper look at the designs created by Ruth E. Carter.
The clip begins as Carter reiterates that Wakanda Forever gives more to viewers in many aspects (including M’Baku), and she and the team wanted to return to Wakanda as a concept. With Carter at the costume helm, the movie was able to elevate it for viewers. Director Ryan Coogler credits Carter for pushing the movie beyond his initial idea for it. In talking about the familiarity of Wakanda, Carter hones in on the importance of the Dora Milaje. She speaks a bit about updating their look for the sequel, including enhancing their armor so that they could go underwater with it. Thus, the blue suit was born.
Angela Bassett (Queen Ramonda) praises Carter’s work, citing it as “PhD graduate, beyond level.” She highlights the step-up in detail ranging from the embroidery on costumes to the bigger pieces like the queen’s headpieces. Bassett also touches on Carter’s thorough research process, specifically with the inclusion of Namor and the Talokanil. Carter expands on this by explaining how she strove for maximum accuracy by drawing from actual history. However, she also notes that with Talokan being an underwater subculture, she used history to bring additional imagination to life.
As the video wraps-up, Lupita Nyong’o reveals that Carter is the “calmest creator” whose humor and lightness offsets the intensity of the costumes. Not only that, Nyong’o briefly points out the legacy of the costumes, stating how they will “inform cosplay for a decade to come, or more.” Carter ends by reflecting on her work for the movie in general. Returning to the franchise and Wakanda was a highlight for her, largely because she was able to bring African culture and Afrofuturism to the screen without it being the result of colonization.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever begins streaming February 1 on Disney+. It will release on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on February 7. Watch the new featurette below:
via Collider