Queen Ramonda met her demise at the hands of Namor during Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, marking yet another major death in the emotional MCU film.
Queen Ramonda met her demise at the hands of Namor during Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and sad as it was, it played an important narrative role. Angela Bassett was given a larger role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever after the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, who previously portrayed T’Challa, the King of Wakanda, with Bassett’s Ramonda stepping up to the role of Wakandan Queen, and stealing some of the most powerful moments of the project. Wakanda Forever marked the end of the MCU’s Phase 4, bringing one of Marvel Studios’ more light-hearted slates to a close with one of the MCU’s most emotional adventures, as characters grieve the loss of T’Challa, and set out to war against the mutant Namor.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced Tenoch Huerta to the MCU as Namor, the leader of the underwater city of Talokan, who quickly becomes an adversary to the Wakandans despite their nations’ similarities. After Shuri refuses to strike an alliance with Namor and the Talokanil, the mutant and his forces attack Wakanda, flooding the streets, and leading to the death of Queen Ramonda as she tries to save Riri Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart. Queen Ramonda’s death came as a huge surprise to audiences, but was incredibly important to the story of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and will inform the motivation of the MCU’s Black Panther going forward.
Queen Ramonda’s Death Was Necessary For Shuri’s Wakanda Forever Story
After Boseman’s death, Letitia Wright stepped up to assume the role of the main character for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with Shuri’s grief and relationship to her Wakandan heritage and technology being explored more than any other. Queen Ramonda’s death was an important turning point for Shuri in Wakanda Forever, as it left the young hero with no family left after losing her father during Captain America: Civil War, and her brother and mother in Wakanda Forever. While this anger could have blinded her, she was able to take back control, and it allowed her the clarity to finally create her synthetic heart-shaped herb and become Wakanda’s new Black Panther.
Shuri’s grief was a key element of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and this was delivered in spades. While losing a brother and mother in the space of one year could have ruined Shuri, she used it to her advantage to develop new technologies, and take her place as the new Black Panther in the MCU, a role which will surely continue in future MCU projects. It also meant that Shuri would have to step up to become Queen of Wakanda, or vacate the throne and allow someone else to take her place.
How Queen Ramonda’s Death Changed Wakanda
Ramonda’s death not only had a personal impact on Shuri, but also an impact on the wider culture of Wakanda itself. Since Shuri seemed unwilling to take over the throne of Wakanda, it was left to someone else to step up as the new leader of the nation. It was hinted at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that M’Baku would become the new King, though a deleted scene for the film has since confirmed that Okoye could become Queen of Wakanda. Wakanda will surely be forever changed after the deaths of three of their leaders in such a short space of time.
