What to Know From Disney Plus’s Countdown to Doomsday

An epic trailer for Avengers Doomsday was released at D23. Shortly after, the "Countdown to Avengers Doomsday" collection appeared on Disney Plus. I did a few prep lists of my own (including twenty-five movies and five television series). Disney's list is a bit more concise and is very doable between now and Doomsday, but in case you don't have time to binge fifteen movies/series, I've broken down the basics of what I think you need to know from each:

X-Men

This movie established Fox's X-Men series with a number of core characters set to appear in Doomsday: Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, and Cyclops. It began the "mutant threat" facing humanity. While the politicians debated the issue, Magneto set out to turn them into mutants (not knowing that the process would kill them). Other than establishing our X-Men, I'm curious how this movie will play into Doomsday. Is it just to introduce us to the mutants or is the "mutant threat" going to create a rift between the X-Men and the Avengers?

X2

It was in my "extra credit" section for the introduction of Nightcrawler, but the plot continued the saga of the X-Men and the mutant threat, as Strucker used mind control serum (harvested from his son) to frame Nightcrawler for an assassination attempt and to attempt to destroy the mutants. It also gave us glimpses into Wolverine's lost memories (later explored in X-Men Origins). However, I'm not sure how this continued mutant threat will contribute to Doomsday, except to introduce Nightcrawler.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Okay so we're prepping for an Avengers movie. Captain America is the first Avenger. Pretty straight forward "why" for this movie. Steve Rogers went from being a scrawny young man to having a body and powers that men would envy for generations. After losing his best friend (for now) and thwarting Red Skull, Cap sacrificed himself to save countless people, leaving him frozen in ice until the 21st Century. 

Avengers

We had the "first Avenger" and now we have the first Avengers movie. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Hulk teamed up to fight Loki and his army. They became the core team of the Avengers. Though they'd only team up every few years, this was the jumping off point for all Marvel superhero crossovers.

Avengers: Infinity War 

After all their phase two and phase three shenanigans, Infinity War brought our heroes together again. By this point, the roster included names such as Vision, Falcon, War Machine, Black Panther, and Spider-Man, and more. All our heroes fought Thanos to keep him from using the six Infinity Stones and lost. Thanos decimated half the population of the universe and sent many of our remaining heroes spiraling.

Avengers: Endgame

Five years after the events of Infinity War, the remaining Avengers teamed up to jump across time streams to retrieve the six Infinity Stones and revive the missing half of the universe's population. It took the sacrifice of Black Widow to complete the set of stones, but they succeeded in the end. The epic movie culminated in a massive head-on fight against Thanos's forces. Despite the Avengers best efforts, it took Tony Stark sacrificing himself to use the Infinity Stones to win the battle. And in the aftermath of the fight, Captain America returned the six Infinity Stones to their time streams, taking his sweet time in a parallel Earth, until he came back as an old man. With the Avengers left with three members missing, we headed into Phase Four and beyond.

Loki

Because of the time travel antics of Endgame, a variant of Loki escaped captivity... for a moment before the Time Variance Authority apprehended him. Through his manipulation of the TVA, Loki eventually ended up at the end of time with a female Loki variant (Sylvie). She killed a Kang variant, releasing the shackles on the multiverse. But as reality started crumbling, it took our Loki variant from Endgame to hold all the strands of the multiverse together. Perhaps it's something to do with this Loki's new role in the multiverse that causes the rumored incursions of Doomsday.

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

The biggest thing this movie brings for Doomsday (as far as we know) is the reluctant hero Shang Chi. After defeating his father and a soul-devouring demon, our new hero was recruited by the Avengers. The mystical Ten Rings that he won off his father gave off some sort of energy that the Avengers noted. Perhaps this unknown energy is interwoven with the multiverse and that's why Disney included Shang Chi in their Doomsday countdown.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Our first multiversal movie! Spidey hasn't been confirmed for Doomsday, but even if he doesn't appear we still learned a lot about the multiverse in this movie. After the events of Far From Home, Peter didn't want people to remember his secret identity anymore. Using Doctor Strange's powers, he tried to make them forget, but instead a number of villains came from other universes after Peter botched the spell. By teaming up with two others Spideys, the villains were defeated and/or redeemed. To save the multiverse from caving in on them, Doctor Strange made everyone forget Peter Parker (which led into Brand New Day).

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 

After the death of her brother T'Challa, Shuri and her mother were left leading Wakanda without a king. As they encountered Namor, things got more complicated. Especially after the death of Shuri's mother. The Wakandan princess ended up leading the nation of Wakanda against the Namor's forces. By the miracle of science, she was able to synthesize the herb that turned her into the Black Panther. She was able to broker peace with Namor's people. And since Shuri and Namor are both supposed to appear in Doomsday, it's obvious why this is on the list.

Captain America: Brave New World

The passing of the torch (shield) from Steve to Sam happened in Endgame and was further explored in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This solo adventure (which could have been a Hulk movie) was his first cinematic adventure as the new Cap. Sam chased a mystery across the globe to thwart the mind games of Samuel Sterns and to clear the name of Isaiah Bradley. The new Cap also had to face off against Red Hulk. Any sane person would have been scared out of their mind to face any Hulk, but Sam managed it somehow.

Deadpool & Wolverine 

This movie finally bridged the gap of the MCU and the Fox's Marvel movies (not just X-Men). Even if you don't watch R-rated movies, the movie taught us many things about the multiverse. Deadpool got dragged into the TVA where we learned about anchor beings. Instead of sitting quietly, Wade ended up multiverse hopping through X-Men universes to find a new Wolverine for his world. The two fought and defeated Cassandra Nova and Paradox to save the multiverse. With Fox's X-Men coming into Doomsday, at the very least this movie establishes those Fox movies as part of the MCU multiverse. Also, we have Channing Tatum's Gambit returning (or maybe a variant).

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 

It's right there in the title: Multiverse of Madness. Universe hopping Doctor Strange was working to save America Chavez and save Wanda Maximoff from herself. Like with Deadpool 3, we learned a lot about the multiverse here. We learned more about variants, incursions, and dreamwalking. Stephen Strange had to dreamwalk into his variant's corpse to save America from the Scarlet Witch. In the end, Wanda sacrificed herself to redeem herself, but not before Doctor Strange read from the Darkhold. During the credit scene, a woman named Clea came to Doctor Strange to address incursions he caused. Supposedly incursions will play a big part in Doomsday, though Doctor Strange hasn't been confirmed for the movie yet.

Thunderbolts*

Our New Avengers will be major players in the movie. We can tell that much from the trailer. This movie put together a Suicide Squad of Marvel pseudo-heroes. After Valentina sent the group to kill each other and clean up her mess, the band of misfits ended up on the run. When Bob became Sentry, his alterego Void was unleashed. The new team had to enter into Bob's nightmares to talk him down and bring him back to reality. It's a beautiful scene relevant to anyone's mental health and I love it. I just hope Bob is okay during Doomsday.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

An essential part of Doomsday is Fantastic Four. Though Doctor Doom doesn't appear until the credit scene, he's always be tied to these heroes. The movie began with the Fantastic Four already established as Earth's heroes (on a parallel Earth with retro 60's vibes). With Galactus on the way and Sue pregnant, the Fantastic Four headed into space to intercept the Devourer of Worlds before he could reach Earth. In exchange for Earth, Galactus wanted the newborn baby. The Fantastic Four worked tirelessly prevent the Earth's destruction. When Galactus finally arrived, the heroes were able to send him to the far reaches of the universe. The baby was safe. However, the credits rolled, Doctor Doom appeared with obvious interest in the child.

If you don't have time to rewatch all fifteen (or to watch the ones you've missed) hopefully these breakdowns give you a decent understanding of where we're at in the MCU going into Doomsday. Or maybe it has wet your pallet and made you want to watch them (not sure I'm that good of a writer, but I can dream). As of this post, you could watch one item per week and finish in time for Avengers.

Avengers assemble!

More Content You Might Like:

• "Thunderbolts: What About Bob?" by Spencer
• "Mr. Fantastic Knows Nothing… Welcome to Parenting" by Spencer
• "Deadpool & Wolverine - What You're Missing" by Joe

Spencer's Doomsday Prep Lists:

• "5 Marvel Movies to Watch Before Avengers Doomsday"
  
• X-Men
• Iron Man
• Captain America: Winter Soldier
• Avengers: Infinity War
• Avengers: Endgame
• "5 Marvel Shows to Watch Before Avengers Doomsday"
• WandaVision
• The Falcon and the Winter Soldier 
• Loki
• Hawkeye
• What If...?
• "5 More Marvel Movies to Watch Before Avengers Doomsday"
• Spider-Man
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Thor: Love and Thunder
• Thunderbolts*
• Fantastic Four: First Steps

5 More Marvel Movies to Watch Before Avengers Doomsday

It’s a little over six months until the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and other heroes crossover on the big screen in Avengers Doomsday. In the last year I’ve done two blog posts about preparing for this epic story: Infinity Saga movies and Disney Plus series. Now it’s time for Multiverse movies (and some extra credit) to watch before December.  

Spider-Man

The inclusion of Tobey McGuire’s Spidey is mostly based on rumor. No confirmation yet that he’ll appear, but you never know since he’s already reprised his roll once. Plus it kind of shows what the multiverse is made of outside of our major players in Doomsday.

Extra Credit - The Amazing Spider-Man

Unlike Tobey, I haven’t seen any rumors about Andrew Garfield returning. That being said, we are heading into a multiverse movie and this would round off the variants of Spider-Man. I’m not saying I expect him to appear necessarily, but it would give him a chance to fight an alien. Or at least encounter one.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

It wasn’t the best received movie of post-Endgame MCU, but characters from this movie are confirmed for Doomsday and will likely play a major role. We are set to see Shuri, M’Baku, and Namor. I wouldn’t be surprised if we also see some of the Dora Milaje.

Extra Credit - Spider-Man No Way Home

I didn't originally intend for there to be so many Spidey movies, but that's just how it played out. In some ways, this one may be the most crucial Spider-Man movie before Doomsday, simply because it portrays multiversal heroes and villains. I’m not sure any project featuring the multiverse had been as epic as this one (except maybe Loki).

Thor: Love and Thunder

Like Black Panther, this movie wasn’t received as well we might’ve hoped. However, this movie shows what Thor had been up to since Endgame. Besides leaving the Guardians and getting in shape, he recovered Mjolnir and became an adoptive father. In addition, there are rumors of Doomsday’s trailer featuring Thor in battle. Maybe it’ll just turn out to be rumor, but we’ll see. 

Extra Credit - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Seeing as none of the Guardians have been announced as cast, but we know Star Lord will return at some point and that he’s on Earth (last we know). There’s no reason to think he couldn’t play a part in this battle. Plus, this was possibly the best received movie of the Multiverse Saga. Always worth a watch.

Thunderbolts*

This was the biggest crossover of the Multiverse Saga. Obviously, that's about to change with Doomsday. With these New Avengers headed into the multiverse, it'll be interesting to see how this band of misfits handles the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the other heroes of Earth-616. All I can say is that Bob better be okay by the end of Doomsday and Secret Wars.

Extra Credit - Spider-Man: Brand New Day 

As this movie hasn’t been released yet, we don’t know if/how it’ll play into Doomsday. After all, Tom Holland hasn’t been confirmed as part of the Avengers cast this time. Rumor has it that the ramifications of Doomsday will impact this movie or vice versa. All the same, it’s the last Marvel project to release before Doomsday. If any Spidey movie will directly affect the Avengers and company, it’ll be this movie. 

Fantastic Four: First Steps

We finally got the Fantastic Four into the MCU and they did not disappoint! Though in another corner of the multiverse, this movie hit home. I wrote before about the impact this movie had on me and I'm excited to see how this family fights with or alongside the Avengers. The credit scene broke the heart of every parent watching. We have Doctor Doom and the family is on the line.

Extra Credit - Deadpool & Wolverine

Many of our readers probably skipped this movie due to its R rating, but it changed things for the X-Men franchise. Instead of a hard reboot of Fox Marvel movies, Deadpool brought the mutants into the existing multiverse in an emotional and crazy way that only Deadpool could. Now the mutants from the original X-Men movies are headed into Doomsday, all because of Deadpool.

You have your homework now. Ten movies and five series to watch before Doomsday (plus fifteen extra credit movies). The clock is ticking and I'm anxious to see what chaos RDJ will bring as Doctor Doom. 

A Case of Mistaken Identity: T'Challa

A few months ago, I rewatched Black Panther and it’s still as good as ever. Between having that in my recent memory and last week’s Come Follow Me reading, with Satan trying to tear down Moses, I had some thoughts.

T'Challa had barely begun grieving in processing his father‘s death, as seen in Civil War, when he was duty bound to accept any challenges of ritual combat. Most of the tribes in Wakanda conceded to him as the rightful king and Black Panther. But naturally someone had to challenge him: M'Baku

Something struck me during their fight during my recent feeling of the movie. While fighting M’Baku, the queen mother shouted at T’Challa, “ Show him who you are!” For whatever reason, this line hit me differently. In many ways, it defined the rest of the movie.

Even though he won the throne in that battle, T’Challa had some growing pains as the new king and Black Panther. Again, it had been mere weeks since the traumatic death of his father. He had let go of the anger towards Zemo, to whatever extent. But it wouldn’t be long until Killmonger challenged everything he knew about his father. Imagine learning details about your late father and how he treated his family while trying to grieve that loved one.

Learning that his father was instrumental in his uncle’s death, our beloved Black Panther was conflicted about what it meant to be king and what to do about Killmonger’s plan. In the end, I suppose he realized that Killmonger's motivation wasn’t completely flawed, though obviously the execution of that plan was dangerous and cruel to many innocent people. 

In many ways, his mother’s words ended up having more to do with the coming fight with Killmonger than it did M’Baku. After the battle against his cousin, T’Challa add to decide what to do about the Wakandan tradition of isolation. What kind of king did he want to be? Would he keep the kingdom‘s secrets like his father? Or would he risk their livelihood by reaching out to the world? 

I think it’s amazing that T’Challa, while respecting his father‘s memory, decided to do more. By reaching out to the rest of the world, providing technology and resources, mankind would never be the same. If nothing else, the Avengers wouldn’t have had so many allies in the battle against Thanos (granted, they lost the first round of that battle). Their king gave the Wakandan people a chance to show the world who they were. 

To bring in a spiritual perspective, we are tempted every day to go with the flow or to stick with the status quo. Call it tradition. Call it a fallen world. Call it whatever you want. The adversary loves complacency and wants us to believe we're nothing more than flesh (see also Moses's experience in Come Follow Me last week) but we are sons and daughters of God. I love this quote from Christian author John Eldredge in his book Wild at Heart:

"The Enemy fears you. You are dangerous big-time. If you are ever really got your heart back, live from it with courage, you would be a huge problem to him. You would do a lot of damage…on the side of good."

Eldredge isn’t a member of the Restored Church, but the statement is true especially for Latter-day Saints. Like Moses, if we don’t have a sense of who we are (sons and daughters of God) and what our heart truly wants (see also the Plan of Salvation), Satan can take us wherever he wants to keep us from that goal. He can pull us down and downplay our divine identity.

Just as the Wakandans left their isolation and began outreach to the world, we are expected to be disciples of Jesus Christ, rising out of obscurity. Like the Wakandans we have so much to offer the world, but it’s easy to stay in our own little sphere. I’m praying and pondering almost constantly on this subject, as I tried to “[get] my heart back” and understand my relationship to our heavenly father on a deeper level. As each of us develops and deepens that relationship, I believe outreach will come naturally and powerfully. Like Moses, it's up to us to respond to the adversary, "Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten;"

Best MCU Beards for No-Shave November

Each year when No-Shave November comes around, I think to test my genetics and see if I can grow a beard than last year. My genes are such that it took me into my thirties to test myself long enough to get the goatee that I currently have. But November isn’t just about the face fuzz, but about men’s health. Physical and mental. So while I'm having a bit of fun with the Marvel-lous men (they seriously give me beard envy) men's health is serious. Many of us internalized the message to not ask for help. Don’t forget to check in on your mental and physical health. And don’t isolate yourself in the world of men; find your team of Avengers.

Though in no particular order, naturally I had to start here. Because iconic.

Maybe similar to Tony's, but it showed his transition from doctor to sorcerer.

Probably the closest to the beard I'm able to grow (but I lack sideburns).

Fitz started as a baby-faced nerd, but became a tough stubbly spy.

Without Hydra programming, Bucky needed something to keep looking tough.

Maybe Matt got tired of paying someone else to shave him?

Very polished and regal. A beard fit for a king.

Sometimes you can't care to shave (and sometimes you want to see your capabilities).

I think we all had beard envy for Cap's temporary on-the-run beard.

Fury was trying to look homeless. A beard helps, I guess?

I don’t know that I ever want chops like Hugh Jackman, but it’s iconic now. 

I had to finish off with The Thing’s bolder-y beard. Love it!

Thunderbolts Binge List

I started doing these Marvel binge list posts when MCU Phase Four started and it seemed like half the fans had binged the existing MCU movies for Infinity War and Endgame. Only a couple weeks until Thunderbolts premieres in theaters and it's our first big crossover since Endgame.  Sure, we've had Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels, but that's about as big as we've had since the Avengers' last battle. To prepare for the Thunderbolts, here are the movies that are essential for refreshing your memory before this band of misfits hit the big screen. And with less than a month to go, it may take some literal binging.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2 hours 4 min)

Chronologically we need to start with Bucky. Before he became the Winter Soldier, he was best friends with Steve Rogers. Even though Steve Rogers is out of the picture, Bucky keeps popping up here and there in the post-Endgame Marvel projects. And it seems like he'll be leader of the Thunderbolts (if anyone can lead them).

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2 hours 16 min)

And with Bucky leading the Thunderbolts, the next logical movie to watch is the way named after him. Is there a better reveal in any MCU project than Steve seeing that Bucky is the Winter Soldier? This was a game changer in MCU history with repercussions still in Phase Five.

Captain America: Civil War (2 hours 28 min)

The first chunk of this binge list is essentially getting to know Bucky again. So we'll continue on with when Bucky finally got his mind back. Like The Winter Soldier, this movie continues to have repercussions across the MCU. Infinity War would have looked very different if not for Civil War. Finally here, Bucky gets some help.

Black Widow (2 hours 13 min)

Though this movie came out after Endgame, the bulk of the movie takes place immediately after Civil War. Joe and I talked about this on the podcast, but a bulk of the Thunderbolts come from this movie. So you'll need to check this movie out to meet Yelena, Red Guardian, and Taskmaster again. And of course we get Valentina appearing in the credit scene, alongside Yelena, after the events of Endgame.

Black Panther (2 hours 15 min)

Optional viewing for Bucky (again) as we have a credit scene of Shuri visiting Bucky and, for the first time in decades, he's not the Winter Soldier anymore (unless he wants to tap into those skills on his own).

Avengers: Infinity War (2 hours 29 min)

Thanks to Wakandan tech, Bucky is better and ready for battle against Thanos. Just in time for him and his Vibranium arm to be dusted by Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet and the Avengers are left to grieve everyone... for now.

Ant-Man and the Wasp (1 hour 58 min)

Now for some new blood. While the Avengers were busy with Thanos (or maybe a short time before Thanos) Ant-Man and Wasp had to face off against Ava Starr who was fighting for her life. In the aftermath of their fight, Scott and the Pyms used access to the Quantum Realm to help stabilize Ava's Ghost powers. I guess we'll see how that works when she appears in Thunderbolts.

Avengers: Endgame (3 hours 2 min)

And we return to the Avengers. After a few years, they assembled again to reverse Thano's snap. So welcome back Bucky and the rest, including Yelena (though we don't learn about her death until Hawkeye), And despite being with Bucky until "the end of the line" Steve decided to say goodbye to his oldest friend. 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Episodes 1-6)

We're in the post-Endgame era now. We were all excited for this Disney Plus series, especially after the success of WandaVision. Here is where we met the loose cannon John Walker (aka US Agent) and dealt with the fallout of him trying to measure up to Steve Rogers as Captain America. I'm curious how the years in between will have affected him. This series was also our first introduction to Valentina on screen and we know she'll play a big role with the Thunderbolts.

Hawkeye (Episodes 4-6)

After coming back in the Blip and receiving new instructions from Valentina, Yelena went off to avenge her adopted sister by attempting to kill Natasha's best friend. But of course Yelena and Clint come to an understanding by the end of the finale. And we got some adorably funny banter from Yelena, teasing Kate Bishop, which was my favorite part of this series. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2 hours 41 min)

Her part wasn't the biggest in this movie, but Valentina came back and we found out she used to be married to Everett Ross. So while he was aiding the Wakandans, she tried to throw a wrench into their plans. I guess we'll see where that leaves her.

Captain America: Brave New World (1 hour 58 min)

Obviously the main focus of this movie was Red Hulk and Sam Wilson, but Bucky made an appearance. It's cool to me that despite his history we see glimpses of Bucky's life and success after Endgame. I wonder how much of his Winter Soldier story is available to the public. Full disclosure: I wasn't able to see this movie in theaters so I'm hoping it arrives on Disney Plus in time to view before I see Thunderbolts in May.

And now we watch (these movies/series) and wait for the release. I'm excited! And since half the Thunderbolts are confirmed to appear in Doomsday, I'm curious how this movie will lead into next year. If you want more discussion on the upcoming Thunderbolts, check out our latest Marvel episode on the Latter-Day Saint Geeks Podcast--Joe and I had some fun talking about this one in particular.

Wakanda Forever!

 (Guest post by Justin)

While I do not consider myself as someone with deep feelings and fandom for Hollywood, the passing of Chadwick Boseman shook me. I had loved the man for years as he powerfully portrayed many of my heroes such as Thurgood Marshall and Jackie Robinson in film. I assumed he would continue to carry the mantle of many of the phenomenal actors that came before him like Sydney Portie and Denzel Washington. He seemed poised to build on his phenomenal legacy for generations to come. But then, just like that, he was gone, leaving a massive hole in the hearts and minds of many of us – including the plot of a historic franchise. How do you replace a legend? You cannot. However, you can celebrate their life and you can honor them by building upon their legacy. That is what Ryan Coogler and the cast did in Wakanda Forever. Some of my impressions are below.

• Losing someone is hard - There is no one way to deal with grief when you lose a loved one. The whole spectrum of grief is manifested by the family and friends of King T’Challa - Princess Shuri, Queen Ramonda, Nakia, Okoye, and M’Baku all deal with the loss in different ways. Ultimately, death and grief is hard and messy and processing it takes time. 
  
  
• “Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning." (Psalm 30:5) - As alluded to, the film shows how loss and grief is not a clean linear process (it takes more than a day), and it is something that will have resounding effects throughout one’s life. However, characters in the film still manifest joy at times as they process the grief that comes with losing a loved one (many manifest joy in King T-Challa’s funeral procession).
  

• Black is beautiful, powerful, and worthy of emulation - This almost goes without saying, but this film, as well as the last, brings to light the beauty and power of black culture both in Wakanda & the US. Whether through traditional African ceremonies, language, clothing or pop culture, the experience and rich history of many in the African diaspora are centered and celebrated in ways rarely seen in traditional mainstream media.
  
  
• Women are straight bosses - Whether it be some of Christ's most faithful disciples or the women in our own lives, we know who runs the show and makes the world go ‘round. The film celebrates and centers the power of black women – queens, princesses, military leaders and technological innovators who thrive in spite of the disproportion obstacles they have to face.
  

• Imperialism has dire consequences - I know, shocker. We see in the film (and world history) the tragic consequences when colonizers move in and destroy civilization, leaving death and fear in their wake. The antagonism of Namor and his people is rooted in the abuse, subjugation, and displacement they endured. Imperialistic friction is also prevalent and exemplified by the efforts of other world leaders seeking to steal the resources of Wakanda.
  
  
• “Villans” are people too - Although more of an anti-hero or antagonist than a true villain, like Killmongerer, Namor is a complex individual whose murderous actions are rooted in childhood trauma and a desire to protect his people. While you might not like the death and destruction caused, you can understand the “why” of his thinking and he comes off, dare I say, as sympathetic. 
  

• Family is forever - As we saw in the first film, the Ancestral Plane in Wakanda Forever continues to reaffirm that family bonds are meant for more than just our mortal lives. Indeed, the communications from the ancestral plane provide key guidance for Princess Shuri and exemplify how loved ones continue to be invested in our personal well-being even when they are no longer with us physically.

For millions, particularly in the black community, Chadwick Bosemen, was viewed in the light of royalty for his iconic personae, life, and entertainment contributions. While not a perfect film (I’m hoping/expecting some of the plot holes to be filled by the next film), I believe it accomplished the nearly impossible task of mourning, celebrating, and building upon the legacy of one of the greatest entertainment icons of our time, while developing an engaging and sustainable storyline. (Remember, like everyone else, Chadwick’s death was a surprise to Ryan Coogler and the directing team and he had to scrap the already completed Black Panther 2 story/script and start again).

While I do not believe any of the characters in the film have the character strength and staying power of T'Challa (at least to this point) I think the runway is there for exceptional and engaging stories and characters as the franchise continues. While long (but not too much so for me), I see the film as preparatory, similar to Infinity War, that will allow for more exciting character and story exploration and development in future films 

While not present in the film and no longer living in this world, King T’Challa and Chadwick Bosman, respectively, will continue to have significant influence over the Black Panther franchise and individuals lives, including my own. In addition to his many other accomplishments, I am grateful for all that Chadwick brought to the franchise and his impact on the MCU and I am excited at what the future holds.

Rest in power, King.

Black Panther Binge List

This blog post is a little difficult to write, compared to other binge lists I’ve done. With the passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, we never got closure for this character. And though it’s a sequel to Black Panther, we have no idea where Wakanda Forever will go. I’m just glad they decided not to recast T’Challa and they seem to be doing this movie in honor of Chadwick. Now, before the movie comes out, let’s review our knowledge of Wakanda so far.

Captain America: Civil War (2 hours 28 min)

Our first exposure to Wakanda (unless you count the mention in Age of Ultron) was the introduction of King T’Chaka and his son T’Challa. After the king was killed in Austria, T’Challa donned the Black Panther costume to catch his supposed killer. Joining Team Iron Man to catch Bucky, T’Challa followed Cap and Bucky to Siberia when he and his teammates failed to apprehend the Winter Soldier. I’d say his first true moment as a hero was capturing Zemo and sparing his life.

Black Panther (2 hours 15 min)

Only a few weeks after Civil War, T’Challa was officially made King of Wakanda. Didn’t take long for trouble to show up in the form of Erik Stevens (AKA Killmonger). He thwarted the Wakandans capture of Klaue (who he killed) and he threw T’Challa off the throne… to take revenge on the outside world. I have no right to speak on issues of race, as a white male, but I respect King T’Challa so much for rising above the oppression that his ancestors faced. In the end, the moral high ground won and T’Challa took the throne again.

Avengers: Infinity War (2 hours 29 min)

In an attempt to save Vision and protect the Mind Stone, the Avengers came to the newly opened-to-the-world Wakanda. While Shuri tried to science the Mind Stone out of Vision, Black Panther, Captain America, and Black Widow led an army (mostly Wakandans) to hold off Thanos’s forces. With the help of Bucky, Thor, Groot, Rocket, and Wanda, they almost succeed. Until Thanos enters the game… with Vision’s Mind Stone in hand, SNAP! T’Challa and fifty percent of life dusted out of existence.

Avengers: Endgame (3 hours 2 min)

After the remaining Avengers collect a set of Infinity Stones from the past and bring everyone back, Black Panther and his Wakandan allies are among the large army to face off with Thanos in the final battle. Tony sacrifices himself to win and we’re led to believe they all lived happily ever after into Phase Four. We even got a shot of T’Challa with his family in Wakanda after the battle. Unfortunately, with the passing of Chadwick Boseman, we know happily ever after didn’t work out for the Wakandan royal family.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Episodes 3-5)

We don’t know when Wakanda Forever will take place in relation to Falcon and the Winter Soldier. So the appearance of the Dora Milaje in Latvia could be before or after the new movie. Regardless, check out these episodes if you want to see Ayo and her squad track down Zemo and fight against Bucky and Sam. Or not. You’d probably be okay either way.

It’ll be interesting how they choose to send off T’Challa with this movie. We may have already seen (heard) the last of Chadwick Boseman in What If, but I’m hoping that Wakanda Forever will give a satisfying ending to our prime timeline Black Panther. If you want to check out T'Challa's appearances in What If, you'll want episodes two and nine for Star-Lord T'Challa. Other versions of the Wakandan prince can be seen in episodes five and six. For now...