Warning: Spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ahead.
There has yet to be a Marvel movie that has secured an acting nomination at The Oscars, but after Angela Bassett’s performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, many fans are campaigning for her to get the coveted Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Queen Ramonda.
While her role as Wakanda’s fierce ruler was a stand-out of the already dazzling movie, Bassett was not too keen to return to the Black Panther universe after the death of Chadwick Boseman. Director Ryan Coogler told her that Queen Ramonda would have to be the emotional support for Shuri, the pressure was on. “It was scary,” Bassett admitted to IndieWire.
When the actress learned that the Queen would ultimately die towards the end of the film, Bassett was rightfully angry. “I objected,” Bassett continued. “Yeah, I was like, ‘Ryan, what are you doing? Why? You will rue the day! You will rue the demise of [Ramonda]. People are gonna be so upset.’”
Coolger also had to explain the rules of the Multiverse, and the fact that her character could likely come back at any point in the future, or in another Marvel movie, for that matter. She continued, “[Ryan] was like, ‘Angela, I know, I know, but look, to die is not really to die in this world. It doesn’t really have to mean that.’” Imagine her popping up alongside Paul Rudd in Ant-Man! How fun would that be?!
“All kinds of crazy things happen,” Bassett added. Yes, Marvel is notorious for putting crazy things in their movies, so bringing people back from the dead or even from another film franchise actually isn’t that off-brand.