Black Panther: Wakanda Forever–Black people vs evil Indigenous/Mayan people (Ugh. Why)

I’m very late to watching Wakanda Forever. I finally watched it this past weekend.

It is visually stunning in how it was shot, the design, costumes, etc. with a great soundtrack, cool fight scenes, but I couldn’t take my focus off the frustrating plot that involved trying to create villains out of the Black Wakandans or the indigenous/Mayan “Talokanil,” depending on who you end up rooting for.

My main thought throughout the film was “Why are you fighting each other?” I am curious what Black and Indigenous/Mayan/Latine people thought about this film and think we should all prioritize their opinions, but wanted to share mine.

It’s cool to see some badass Latine/indigenous actors on screen, and to hear these badass characters speaking Yucatec Maya but not when you position them as evil villains. Mabel Cadena’s introduction/entrance on the helicopter pad scene and walk on the Mass Ave Bridge in Cambridge/Boston was so cool.

If they were going to go with this plot where the Talokanil become a comically extreme murderous enemy, I wish they kept Namor and Namora…