Despite the fact that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is widely regarded as one of the weakest and most depressing projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, star Angela Basset says she’s “proud” that the Wakanda-set sequel was “led by women — and by Black women, by and large.”

Basset, whose performance as Queen Ramonda in the film earned her the MCU’s first and second Academy Award nominations, reflected on her return to Wakanda in a recent interview with Deadline.

When asked if her nomination had any personal “significance” for her, Basset responded, “I haven’t really concentrated on that, but I’m appreciative of being a ‘first’ [referring to her position as the first Marvel actor to receive such a nomination].”

“I have never been the first in anything, except for breaking that glass ceiling,” stated the star of “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” Her portrayal of Tina Turner in the 1994 biopic led to her first nomination, and she expressed gratitude for the remarkable effort put in by the talented creatives and filmmakers, with Ryan Coogler at the forefront. She felt proud and delighted to be associated with a franchise, a movie, and a universe that is achieving significant feats and garnering immense success.

Rizzo questioned Basset on her performance, specifically how she dealt with the idea of her character being killed off. In response, the actress stated that life must go on, stating that it is both the nature and beauty of life to progress.

She continued, expressing that the emergence of Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) and the introduction of T’Challa’s son conveyed a sense of optimism. The film aimed to convey the message that a bright morning follows a long and dark night.

After briefly discussing Coogler’s directing style and Bassett’s personal experiences with motherhood, Rizzo observed that the film felt deeply personal, with many real-life inspirations. Bassett confirmed this sentiment, noting that the film was largely led by black women and that she was proud of their strength and resilience as a tribe. She expressed pride in their onscreen achievements and the impact they have had on audiences.

According to Bassett, it is an honour when the amusement you provide, such as through your films, also improves the lives of some people. This film dealt with family, memories, legacy, and moving on while dealing with sadness and loss. That is something so fundamentally human.

She continued, “To actually connect with audience members who have experienced some of this and have it serve as a conversation starter and a source of comfort for them and their families is really quite an honour that you’re not anticipating. But it’s an unexpected blessing and benefit.

Bassett responded, “It was lovely to come back again for it and carry on the journey of Black Panther,” when Rizzo asked her more about what it was like “having five women lead a picture like Black Panther.”

She said, “You feel like a family. “The feeling of familiarity is a lovely, reassuring concept and experience. It’s wonderful to watch one another shine and to see one another glow.

Despite the fact that Bassett sees Wakanda Forever as a turning point for female empowerment and representation, the movie supposedly bombed with black men more so than most other groups.

Valliant Renegade, a renowned insider and reporter in the entertainment industry, claims that Marvel Studios reduced the amount of merchandise it produced for the sequel to the Black Panther franchise because audience research revealed that “Black Panther is not a ‘property’ or a’mantle’,” but rather “a very specific character” whose “appeal is very’male’, even more than usual.”

He emphasized that further research would be necessary to verify his observation as a fact, particularly concerning black men. According to him, black men appear to have a particularly strong connection with the character, particularly in terms of the dynamic between father and son, and identify strongly with the Black King as a powerful male figure. The words “noble strength” were associated with the character by black men, who admired the hero’s demeanor and found him inspiring.

According to the insider, this also applies to fathers and sons, as many black men and their sons have bonded over watching these movies. He mentioned that in discussions among “mom” groups, some women shared that their husbands, boyfriends, or ex-partners took their sons to see the movies featuring these characters, sometimes even watching them multiple times. The insider added that these outings sometimes involved stopping by a toy store on the way back home.

Valliant Renegade pointed out that Black Panther was not only a source of entertainment for black men, but they also frequently watched it with different groups of friends, and often took their sons, nephews, and other relatives to see it. This resulted in multiple viewings, which was an impressive feat. “Some very nice focus stories to hear right there,” he added.

The reporter concluded that the male elements were the crucial factor in Black Panther’s success with black men. He stated that black men were even less likely to purchase merchandise driven by female intellectual property, either for themselves or their sons, which was a fact worth noting.

When the Academy Awards are broadcast on March 12th, viewers will find out if Bassett wins her first Oscar.