The original Black Panther is one of the finest movies in Marvel’s canon, there’s no doubt about that, but there are certain things the incoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever can do to improve on its predecessor. Giving us a third act not spoiled by some shoddy CGI, for one. Similarly, here’s hoping the sequel will find room to give one of its most talented castmembers and most intriguing characters more room to play, otherwise fans will be seriously ticked off.
As user u/teddyvan96 shared on the r/marvelstudios subreddit, one thing that Wakanda Forever really needs to do is give Lupita Nyong’o more time to shine as Nakia. Although Nakia can in some ways be classified as the female lead of the first movie, her thunder was somewhat stolen by Letitia Wright’s Shuri, and maybe even Danai Gurira’s Okoye, as well. Like the Redditor says, she needs “more great moments” in Ryan Coogler’s follow-up.
A glance at the replies to this post make it abundantly clear that the OP is not the only one who feels this way, with many championing Nakia as an underrated character. A lot of folks likewise admitted that they find her much more interesting than Shuri. In fact, the fans in this thread seem to think she would make a worthier Black Panther than T’Challa’s genius sister. And, who knows, maybe it could happen.
We’re all expecting Shuri to take on her late brother’s mantle, thanks to that mind-blowing final moment in the recent trailer, but it’s still not a foregone conclusion. Either way, to waste an Oscar-winning actress like Nyong’o by handing her minimal screentime is a crime that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cannot afford to repeat when it hits theaters this Nov. 11.