Black Panther: Wakanda Forever really stands out in Marvel's Phase 4 as the movie with the clearest ideas. The movie has a lot to say about the cycle of violence, loss, and, shockingly, for an MCU film, colonialism. Of course, this is still a superhero movie, so there are also plenty of fight scenes.
Wakanda Forever's fights are interesting compared to other MCU movies. While these scenes have the same visual spectacle, due to the movie's themes, the audience has a harder time getting into the action than usual. This isn't Captain America punching the Red Skull; audiences empathize with both sides of the film's conflict, making some of the coolest fight scenes simultaneously the most tragic.
Spoilers ahead for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
8 Nakia Freeing Shuri and Riri From Captivity
This scene is very short, and the conflict is over very quickly. However, Nakia killing the Talokanil guards formally sets the stage for the biggest fights in the rest of the film.
This fight is the worst in the film for a couple of reasons. First, there isn't any fun action for audiences to enjoy, which is more than appropriate for the scene's tone. Audiences are also likely screaming internally for Nakia not to kill the Talokani, as they know it will start a war between them and Wakanda.
7 The Dora Milaje Defend An Outreach Program
The first action scene in the movie shows the Dora Milaje fighting off an unnamed military force that has come to steal vibranium from a Wakandan outreach program. In the moment, the action is flashy and well-choreographed, but it wouldn't be a huge surprise if fans forgot this fight existed.
There isn't much emotion connected to the fight since the enemies are faceless soldiers. As it also comes directly after a touching tribute to Chadwick Boseman, it isn't likely to stand out in anyone's mind when thinking back on the film. The fight serves its purpose of setting up Wakanda's place in geopolitics, but it leaves a lot to be desired as a fight itself.
6 M'Baku Challenges Namor
Amid Talokan's invasion of Wakanda, M'Baku spots Namor emerging from the water. Thinking he can take out the "fish man" leading the enemy, M'Baku steers his boat straight for Namor, only to find a much more challenging opponent than he expected.
The fight between M'Baku and Namor perfectly illustrates the Talokan's strength, but it also isn't much of a fight. After M'Baku breaks his staff across Namor's back, Namor strikes him a single time in the chest, sending M'Baku flying and ending the conflict as quickly as it began.
5 The Talokanil Take Out The CIA And Navy SEALs
The introduction to the Talokan in Wakanda Forever is incredible. It plays out almost like a scene from a horror movie as two Navy SEAL divers disappear without a trace deep in the ocean while a lone figure in the waves sings an eerie song.
Things only escalate from there when more Talokanil join their voices in song, causing the Navy ship's crew to begin throwing themselves into the ocean. When things escalate to a straight fight, it's clear the SEALs, and CIA agents are outmatched. The threat of Talokan is perfectly established, as is Namor's strength when he rips a fleeing helicopter out of the sky.
4 Riri Williams Takes Out A Military Drone
Namor wasn't the only great new introduction to the MCU in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, made her debut as well. Audiences get to look at the prototype armor she's made for herself in an early scene, and see her take down a predator drone.
Apart from some serious Iron Man vibes, what's great about the scene is that it shows just how smart Riri is and how she uses it in a fight. In order to catch the drone and take it down, Riri does some very quick and very complicated calculations, plotting her trajectory without any help from an AI like audiences are used to seeing with Iron Man adjacent characters in the MCU.
3 Wakandans Fight Talokanil On The Open Sea
The climax of Wakanda Forever is split between two simultaneous fights. One of these fights follows Okoye, Riri, Aneka, and M'Baku as they battle Talokanil soldiers aboard a large Wakandan vessel at sea. The fight serves as an introduction to Riri in her Ironheart armor and the new Midnight Angel suits for Okoye and Aneka.
It was exciting to see Riri in full armor for the first time, and the fight has a great callback to her earlier conflict with the drone. This fight is also incredibly tense, with the film's stakes at an all-time high and the lives of fan-favorite characters at risk.
2 Okoye Defends Shuri And Riri From Talokanil Soldiers
After an exciting chase scene where Shuri, Riri, and Okoye evade capture by the FBI, their victory is short-lived when warriors from Talokan destroy their vehicles and rip Riri out of the sky in her prototype Ironheart suit. What follows is one of the most intense fights in Wakanda Forever.
With Shuri and Riri both unconscious, Okoye is left to deal with the Talokanil herself. Despite their enhanced strength, Okoye's incredible skill with her spear sees her taking down the small squad, or so it seems. After delivering what should be fatal blows, the Talokanil rise to face her again. The scene is incredibly tense, as audiences assume Okoye's loss will cost Riri and Shuri their lives. This, coupled with some great fight choreography, makes for one of the film's best fights.
1 The Black Panther Fights Namor
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's final fight is also its most exciting. It is the culmination of Shuri's journey to become the Black Panther and decide who she wants to be. The fight is brutal to watch as audiences can understand both Shuri and Namor's motivations, and they likely don't want to see either die.
At one point, it seems as though Shuri and Namor might kill one another, but a last-minute intervention by Queen Ramonda from the Ancestral Plane instead leads Shuri to spare Namor and to broker peace between Talokan and Wakanda. In a movie that illustrates just how destructive a cycle of violence and revenge can be, it's refreshing to see a peaceful resolution to the conflict.