There was always going to be a long shadow over Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman left the Marvel Cinematic Universe without one of its most compelling and inspirational figures -- something Director/Writer Ryan Coogler clearly wrestles with in his latest film, bringing that same sense of loss and mourning to the superhero universe. Arguably the best-looking MCU film and easily the most somber, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an impressive character study that may not land every narrative swing but still stands tall alongside its predecessor.

One year after the sudden passing of King T'Challa from a mysterious illness, the major figures of Wakanda still struggle with the pain of their loss. Shuri (Letitia Wright) has thrown herself fully into her work, largely disconnected from the spiritual aspects of healing that have helped the reinstated Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) make peace with his passing. Okoye (Danai Gurira) does her best to continue and protect Shuri, while Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) has left her home nation, relocating to Haiti to continue helping across the world. M'Baku (Winston Duke) has become a surprisingly stable voice in the Wakandan government and does his best to offer genuine advice and guidance to Shuri.

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However, world governments have become increasingly desperate to replicate Wakandan technology, even stealing a high-powered drill design from the brilliant M.I.T. student Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) to locate pockets of the mineral under the sea. This draws the ire of the Talocan people, a hidden kingdom under the seas whose use of Vibranium makes them a surprising equal to Wakanda in terms of power. Fearing conflict with the surface world over their stores of the mineral, the ancient Talocan King Namor (Tenoch Huerta) approaches Wakanda for a potential alliance -- promising much bloodshed if the offer is refused. Wakanda Forever is quietly juggling a lot, and as a result, some characters (like Martin Freeman's returning Everett K. Ross) become more plot devices than characters. It also means that certain elements and ideas from the build-up to the third act -- while interesting reflections of the characters -- don't get room to develop as fully as they could despite the film's lengthy run-time.

Ultimately, these are minor trifles considering the film's true strengths. Grief and mourning pervade the film in a lot of ways, giving the cast plenty to work with. Wright, Gurira, Nyong'o, and Bassett are fantastic in their respective roles, with Bassett's performance, in particular, finding the right balance between a steady hand and heartbreak. Thorne holds her own and proves to be one of the film's brightest spots of joy and comedy without losing sight of her unique perspective. The real MVP of the film is Huerta, who has the unenviable job of living up to the legacy left by Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger. Huerta more than meets the challenge, imbuing Namor with a certain amount of charm and sympathetic motivation to shade him as less of an overt villain and more of a complex and dark anti-hero. This doesn't detract from his power, and it's his confidence and strength that help set him above most of the rest of the MCU's pantheon of antagonists.

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Elevating all of this is Coogler's direction and Autumn Durald Arkapaw's cinematography, which honestly might be the best aspect of the film. Some of the most beautiful shots yet in the MCU play out in the film, especially once the movie shifts underwater to Talocan. The action is also fantastic, especially once the film factors in Namor's unique form of flight as well as the upgrades that the Wakandan forces produce to counter him and his armies. There are some truly impressive beats in the film, but it notably never gets lost in the chaos. There's also, by contrast, a powerful silence to some scenes, and Coogler knows when to step back and let the cast carry the film -- finding the perfect balance between the battle's epic elements and its human core. It might be the most well-directed film in the MCU, finding a tricky tonal balance that doesn't always land with perfect precision but always looks stunning and feels real.

Namor is, in effect, a reverse T'Challa, someone who believes isolationism is the only way to avoid the evils of the world -- and is more than willing to commit evil acts to keep it that way. The film's focus on grief, and the ways we handle it on both a macro and micro scale, gives Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a thematic strength that many entries in the MCU lack. In many ways, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is quietly the most powerful MCU film, especially in Phase 4, serving as a strong capstone to a tonally wild era of MCU films. Ambitious in terms of scope and the emotional weight being confronted, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a powerful and often-times moving epic that stands tall alongside the previous film and serves as a beautiful tribute.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever comes to theaters Nov. 11.