Wakanda Forever Fans Are Divided Over Ramonda And Okoye's Devastating Throne Room Exchange
Warning: Contains spoilers for 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"
In director Ryan Coogler's epic return visit to the world he first introduced us to in 2018, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is rife with heated encounters and intense confrontations. What comes as a true shock is that some of the most jaw-dropping are between Wakanda's own people. With the nation still raw from the loss of their great king T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman), emotions run high, especially between those that were closest to him. None feel more intense, however, than the serving Okoye (Danai Gurira) endures from Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), who might deliver one of the most soul-shattering scenes the MCU has ever seen.
Following her defeat at the hands of Namor's (Tenoch Huerta) dedicated warrior Attuma (Alex Livinalli), Okoye is forced to return home to break the news that, from her understanding, Shuri (Letitia Wright) has been taken by Namor's soldiers, and her status as dead or alive is unknown. The information sends the queen into a fit of rage, ending with stripping Okoye of her title as general of the Dora Milaje and expelling her from service. It's truly an electrifying moment that displays both actors at the top of their game, as Bassett tears through her co-star while Gurira's devoted soldier is forced to take the hit. Thanks to these sterling performances, fans have mixed emotions about who was in the right.
Fans can see the perspective of both Ramonda and Okoye
Since the film's release, Bassett in particular has received plenty of praise for her (potentially) final appearance as Queen Ramonda in "Wakanda Forever." On Reddit, fans were quick to chime in on the scene, noting that Gurira sold the scene as much as Bassett did. u/InoueNinja94 said, "Angela Bassett killed it as Ramonda. The scene where she yells at Okoye felt so raw," with u/HeavySpire adding, "Danai Gurira was amazing in that scene too. They both killed it. I felt like both characters were right, and were making great points."
The greatest complexities came from the characters' opposing views in the first "Black Panther" film, which was something that Queen Ramonda didn't forget. She proceeded to refresh Okoye and the Dora Milaje that they stood with Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) and the throne following T'Challa's defeat, and that trust was still a fragile thing, which Okoye officially broke in her failure to protect Shuri. u/Exanime4ever said "It was so well balanced ... Okoye both deserved to be fired and not ... I didn't know what to think. And yes, they both acted amazingly." It's with this standout scene that fans think Bassett might be in the conversation come awards season.
Some fans think the scene could earn Bassett an Oscar nomination
Fuelled by passion from both sides of an argument, fans were keen to break down just who was in the wrong about what to do following Shuri's disappearance. u/johnathanjuan got fully caught up in the moment saying, "When the Queen reminded her [Okoye] that she stood with Killmonger, I was like 'oh damn that's right she did do that s***.'" Of course, by bringing back seemingly unresolved issues, it sparked a debate over whether Okoye's devotion to the throne was something that should've been acknowledged. u/myspacegatgoespew defended the toughest member of the Dora Milaje saying, "Killmonger won the throne according to their traditions, so it's not like he really did it wrong." Another post from u/thejonathanjuan added, "One of my favorite scenes in Black Panther was that discussion of duty vs. personal feelings. It was a very grey situation."
Whichever side you stand on though, there's no denying the highlight of Bassett's performance, which some say should get attention come award season. "She should be nominated for Best Supporting Actress," said u/SG420123 "Literally felt like I was watching royalty, but let's face it, Bassett is Hollywood royalty. Could be the first acting nomination for an MCU film too" (referencing the Oscars, as a few MCU actors have been nominated for their performances at the Emmys). Who knows? Given that the first "Black Panther" was given so much awards attention in 2018 (via IMDb), Bassett getting a nod from the Academy could be on the horizon.