The reviews are in for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and it's looking like Marvel Studios has another hit on its hands. 2022 has been a tad hit-and-miss for the MCU, with Thor: Love and Thunder's 64% on Rotten Tomatoes making it the second-worst reviewed of any Marvel Studios blockbuster.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, meanwhile, debuted with a respectable 74%.
As for the Black Panther sequel, it currently sits at a fantastic 94% based on 81 reviews. While that score will fluctuate in the coming days, a start like this suggests it will remain in the 90s.
The 2018 movie is Marvel Studios' highest-rated title on the review aggregator with 96%, but Black Panther: Wakanda Forever currently sits joint second with Avengers: Endgame and Iron Man. That's not bad company to be in, and Ryan Coogler has clearly delivered another very special sequel (no easy feat following the tragic death of leading man Chadwick Boseman).
No "Critics Consensus" has been generated yet, but Rotten Tomatoes typically holds off on publishing those. Why? Well, Wonder Woman 1984's infamously changed after the movie slipped from "Certified Fresh" status to "Rotten" once it hit HBO Max and a greater number of critics were able to watch it.
Scores like these can make or break a movie, so we're sure Marvel Studios will be happy with this number. The sequel introduces a new Black Panther - thought to be Letitia Wright's Shuri - and Ironheart, a character who will lead her own Disney+ series in 2023. We also have the long-awaited MCU debut of Namor the Submariner to look forward to.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on November 11.