09 February 2023 , 13:14
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Much-hyped Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever is putting on a heroic display for Disney Plus - becoming the platform's most-watched Marvel film premiere ever.
The Ryan Coogler-directed film dropped earlier this month and hasn't stopped running since, racking up a colossal number of streamed hours in its first five days.
Disney hasn't yet released any specific viewing figures, but the achievement does mean that Wakanda Forever has surpassed all other movies in the MCU's Phase 4 in terms of its initial streaming performance on the platform.
The hit movie was released in cinemas back in November to widespread praise, pulling off the double coup of wowing both critics and punters.
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It has been nominated for five Academy Awards and scored a sizeable 94 per cent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a more than respectable 7.2 on IMDb.
The film has won much plaudits both for its poignancy and ambition.
In essence a tribute to former Black Panther Chadwick Boseman, who sadly died in 2020, the story concerns a battle to protect the kingdom of Wakanda from meddlesome world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death.
As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes team up with the help of War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their nation.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is not only a visual tour de force - it also packs quite a hefty emotional punch. (Marvel Entertainment)How viewers went wild for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Kjproulx wrote on IMDb: "Black Panther was a very welcome addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2018 and I was really looking forward to seeing the progression of that character. Obviously, with the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, that just wasn't possible anymore.
"(For Wakanda Forever) I figured they would recast the character and continue forward, but they made the tough decision to write the death of the character into the film as well. For that reason, I was worried and relieved all at the same time. It seemed like an impossible task to make a sequel to such a beloved film, but not have the core character there the entire time. Well, after seeing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, I can confidently say that they handled it as well as they possibly could have. I thought this film was emotional and fantastic."
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has proved a hit with both critics and audiences. (Marvel Entertainment)Elsewhere Jeremy_Urquhart posted: "I think the pacing is its greatest strength. I really didn't feel the 2 hour 40 minute runtime. It's a very emotional movie, and the way it pays respect to Boseman and T'Challa is essentially perfect. With good action, a solid story, a very good new antagonist (Namor and the whole underworld were great), and fantastic music (maybe the best Marvel score so far?), this was a very good MCU movie, and gives me a little more hope for the franchise going forward".
But not everyone was quite so enamoured with it.
Izzy2727 posted: "What a very boring, preachy movie adding nothing to the MCU. Don't believe the hype, it was just as hollow as the first Black Panther".