Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is only weeks away from its MCU debut, with Marvel Studios closing out Phase 4 on a massive sequel that will expand the world of Wakanda to new heights. As the follow-up to one of the MCU's most successful solo movies ever in 2018's Black Panther, this new outing will add new layers of depth to the African nation's legacy as the Multiverse Saga continues to push forward into wilder adventures.
Black Panther 2 will pit the film's core heroes in an epic battle with the underwater nation of Talocan, led by Tenoch Huerta's Namor the Sub-Mariner as the aquatic mutant makes his MCU debut. While it's unclear how long Namor will be utilized as the sequel's villain, his conflict with Wakanda will be a memorable one as two advanced civilizations stand in each other's way after an incident involving Dominique Thorne's Ironheart.
And in a recent interview, with these two powerful nations about to go head-to-head, one of Marvel's top producers even compared Black Panther 2 to one of the greatest movies of all-time - one with a similar idea of two strong families going to war with one another.
Black Panther 2 & The Godfather?
In the latest issue of Total Film magazine, Marvel Studios VP of Production & Development Nate Moore compared the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to those of 1972's cinematic classic The Godfather.
Even admitting it was a crazy comparison, Moore shared how the latest MCU movie has "a little bit of a mob feel" to it with two families going to war with one another. He explained this comparison by saying how this sequel features Wakanda trying to find "an equal to itself," which comes in Namor's home country of Talocan:
“This sounds crazy but I’m going to say it. There’s a little bit of a mob movie to this. There’s a little bit of… The Godfather… sounds like I’m being insane, but… There’s that feeling of families of war. Because this movie is very much about Wakanda finding an equal to itself, and Namor’s world of Talocan."
“But these two isolationist nations that are incredibly powerful – probably more powerful than any other nations in the world – [are] figuring out how they can both co-exist. The film is very much about Wakanda opening up its borders to some degree, and impacting Namor’s world in a way that’s unexpected. Namor kind of comes to Wakanda with a proposal that’s not unlike, you know, one of the five families coming with a proposal. And Wakanda is having to figure out how to negotiate with this world power that isn’t afraid of it, frankly.”
An Offer Wakanda or Namor Can't Refuse?
Comparing any movie to Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather is certainly a bold move, as it's regarded as one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces in history. But looking at aspects of Black Panther 2's plot, it does make some sense.
While this movie may not feature families from the mob, two high-standing nations will be deep in battle with one another as the times change in a post-Avengers: Endgame world, particularly with a change in leadership for Wakanda. Tenoch Huerta has even noted how Namor sees T'Challa as something of an inspiration, making the battle that much more personal in nature even though Talokan has yet to be seen in the MCU.
Regardless of how the details play out, this will only add to the emotion that Black Panther 2 is sure to bring as the Black Panther's people deal with the loss of their king. Fans will see how the two countries' relationship evolves from beginning to end, especially with the underwater people of Talokan looking to show they're not to be trifled with.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will debut in theaters on Friday, November 11.
