On Shuri and the Grief and Anger Portrayed in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'

Here is how the way grief and anger were portrayed in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' hits close to home for those who have also experienced a similar loss.

Shuri Anger Grief Black Panther
Disney

Image via Disney

Shuri Anger Grief Black Panther

“If I sit and think about my brother too long, it won’t be these clothes that I burn, it will be the world and everyone in it.” — Shuri.

About a month and a half after his 53rd birthday, my father lost his life to a brain tumor. The truth is, he was gone long before then; the mass situated itself in such a way on his cortex that it caused him to lose much of his cognitive ability. I think I knew our family was out of options long before the doctors told us in late summer that all we could do was wait for the inevitable. On a beautiful afternoon in early October 2011, that fate came to pass. He was gone. 

When trauma happens to the body, it moves into fight or flight mode. I entered into some weird hybrid of both—a flying fight if you will. I buried myself in my collegiate school work, determined to achieve a perfect GPA that semester. It was important to me to cover myself in armor—vibranium of my own—to show I was strong enough to withstand the events that had occurred.

The problem with burying yourself in distractions is that you don’t allow yourself to grieve. Emotions linger beneath the surface far enough away to believe you’re OK but close enough that the slightest thing can cause them all to bubble up. Returning home for the holidays without anything to devote myself to as our family experienced a series of firsts without him left me hollowed out. And angry. 

Black Panther Wakanda Forever Review
Shuri Ending

Shuri’s entrance back into the world ultimately comes at the cost of her mother at the hands of Namor (Tenoch Huerta), where her anger transforms into vengeance. Seeing Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) on the Ancestral Plane solidifies the answer to her proverbial question—and her suit, while infused with silver from T’Challa’s Black Panther suit, skews overwhelmingly gold in a nod to Killmonger’s rage. It’s here where Wakanda Forever doubles down on Shuri’s proclamation. She may not be headed out to burn the world and everyone in it, but she’s keen to set Namor’s ablaze instead. The fact that there’s even a slight possibility of Shuri giving into her anger makes it one of the more radically compelling emotional arcs of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date—and pretty bold for a blockbuster movie, too.

How Letitia Wright renders her anger and grief is spectacular and comes from a real place, as both she and we continue to grieve the real-world loss of Chadwick Boseman. Shuri had all the tools to save him, and it still didn’t matter. T’Challa’s fate was sealed; nothing could change it. And yet you still play the scenarios over and over again in your mind wondering if you’d just tweaked one thing over another if they’d still be here today—as evidenced by how Shuri is working on preemptive cures at the start of the movie. Rewinding the tape isn’t helpful or healthy, but it’s where your mind goes. 

T'Challa and Shuri, 'Black Panther'

Eventually, you learn anger isn’t an option. Maybe it’s through therapy, a friend who tells you you’re wrong, or from thinking about the loved one you lost and how they wouldn’t want you to be this way. That life is precious, full of wonder and excitement, love—and loss, too. That loss makes you appreciate everything else around you. We see this in those moments of Ramonda speaking to Shuri on the beach. It might be a construct of her mind, but the medium doesn’t matter. The message is that it’s OK to let go and live life. You don’t and can’t forget, but you do move forward.

Like Shuri, I eventually took the time to grieve. It wasn’t as picturesque as sitting on a beach near a bonfire, but it was equally as therapeutic. On the anniversary of my father’s passing, I met my family at our home, where we lit a paper lantern and cast it into the sky. I watched as it floated out of view and onward to some distant plane.

You can’t progress without first acknowledging where you are. You have to sit with your grief and realize they call it the grieving process because it’s a journey. Refusing to progress keeps you stuck in the same place, unable to move. But you do have to make a path, even if it’s one small step at a time. 

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