Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * *

Cast: Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Daniel Gurira, Winston Duke, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dominque Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena.

As a mark of respect to the late Chadwick Boseman, the tribute to a fine actor’s work, should not be in question, but maybe the timing of the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the way in which the focus was shifted on as one of Marvel’s true great and Golden Age heroes was almost relegated in his pedigree and scope, or even in the way that as a finale to a phase it was messed around should all be given sharp focus on how not to give the excellent Ryan Coogler short shrift when it comes to storytelling.

Of course the film itself is the honouring of Chadwick Boseman, performing in a series of films, and others, whilst keeping others unaware of the illness that would tragically take his life; but it could be argued that it came too soon, and because of that it suffers under the weight of expectancy, of wanting to be a reflection of the man, of the issues, noble and honourable, and whilst intentions are there to be seen as such, it is by no means easy to reconcile that that with the advancement on screen of some of the less worthier characters to be highlighted.

In Angela Bassett the audience has a queen of cinema, a shining gem, and to her, and arguably Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the secretive ex-wife of Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross, the film explores the nature of womanhood and ambition with such belief and accuracy that it is a shame to place it alongside all the intricate details that don’t capture the imagination.

The issue at hand is the conflicting emotions, the dichotomy to which the audience will bear the brunt of the loss of a hero and that of a pale reflection of one of Marvel’s oldest stars, Prince Namor.

It is rightly argued that the point of evolution is to move on, but some characters have a place in history that feels as though it must be, dare it be said again, honoured. Taking his place when Marvel was Timely, Namor was one of the biggest hitters of The Golden Age, standing tall with the original Human Torch and Captain America, this version feels stunted, bereft of his true history, and one subdued by D.C.’s own Prince of Atlantis, Aqua Man.

Timing is everything in cinema, and in bringing Namor to the cinematic franchise in such a way, one that does not show his absolute wrath as the antihero of ages past, Marvel have allowed themselves to take arguably their first major cinematic knock; never mind The Eternals, that was never going to shake the world in truth, but Namor in the right circumstances could have, would have been, immense.

Maybe this was the wake-up call that Marvel needed going into Phase Five, that Phase Four, with notable exceptions, has been one of slow-moving pedestrianism, and for it to culminate on Ryan Coogler’s watch feels like an insult to the great man, the characters, and the passing of a legendry actor.

Ian D. Hall