Angela Bassett, who plays Queen Ramonda in Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, has spoken out about her character’s death.
Needless to say, the sequel to Black Panther was an emotional roller coaster.
The story had to deal with the death of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa first and foremost. It explored the fictional characters of Wakanda’s loss and what that process is like, while also giving audiences the opportunity to properly mourn the loss of an icon.
But Black Panther wasn’t the only one who left the living world. T’Challa and Shuri’s mother, Queen Ramonda, were both killed during Namor’s attack on Wakanda.
It was an emotional moment, and as one might expect, there was some fan outrage. How could they have killed her? Especially given what the film was exploring with Chadwick Boseman?
Angela Bassett, on the other hand, has shared her thoughts on the subject.
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Angela Bassett on the Reactions to Queen Ramonda’s Death
Angela Bassett, who plays Nakia in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the various reactions she received from friends and audiences.
Angela Bassett remarked on how her friends and the audience as a whole were “so impacted by it” and how they “wanted to believe [it wasn’t] the end:”
“… I love that it has had such an impact on my friends and audiences. ‘I’m sad and angry,’ I’ve heard repeatedly. ‘Well, that’s how I felt,’ I said. ‘The theatre is literally weeping,’ a friend texted. ‘I wish I could be there,’ I thought. That would be interesting to see.
That would be amazing to see and hear.’ There are so many texts. ‘How come you didn’t warn me? It was unbelievable to me.’ ‘They have a Heart-Shaped Herb,’ said another friend, my college roommate. Shuri will think of something. She’s going to return. I kept going until the end because, by some miracle, Ramonda would return. She’s about to cough. ’ They desperately wanted to believe that was not the end.”
When asked if she could tell her husband about the film before it came out, she said, “[she] could tell him:”
“I suppose I could tell him. He, too, would not want it to happen. He, too, did not want to see that.”
When asked how she came around to that plot point, and how it now informs her performance, the actress said she aimed to “never [play] the end at the beginning:”
“You’re just looking at the script and seeing the character’s trajectory and never playing ahead, never playing the end at the beginning. So you just have to try to forget about it as much as possible. And then, once you’ve recovered from the shock and disappointment, you give in and do what you have to do. Yeah. But, let me tell you, it was a long, wet day. “It’s been a long, wet day.”
Angela Bassett then went on to describe the moment Ryan Coogler told her the news:
“I think I just let out an audible (mouths scream ‘no’). ‘What’s wrong,’ my husband asked. You OK?’ Of course, I can’t tell him everything because it would ruin the story. I certainly did not tell the kids. Then it became this secret of mine.”
Dead, But Not Forgotten
The passing of Queen Ramonda undoubtedly brought even more sadness and tragedy to a tale already overflowing with it. In that regard, it makes sense why some might consider it to be a mistake.
Her passing did, however, contribute to the movie’s themes and messages being strengthened, which helped to improve an already solid story.
In addition, “to die is not really to die in this world,” as director Ryan Coogler has said.
Marvel Studios could easily add more scenes like that in the future since Wakanda Forever already featured one glimpse of the Queen in the Ancestral Plane.
It is regrettable that less of Angela Bassett’s extraordinary talent will be on display in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as a result of her passing. She gave one of the best performances in the movie, after all.
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