Is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever safe for kids? Is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever OK for children? Read the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, an honest parents guide and mom review of the all-new Marvel Studios super hero film sequel starring Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett. No spoilers! #WakandaForever May contain commissioned links.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide
Accepting the unacceptable – the death of King T’Challa. Grief has no expiration in Wakanda, as the stages of grief overwhelm a nation – and the world.
Wakanda Forever, the sequel that was to celebrate Chadwick Boseman’s iconic role in the Marvel Universe, has now become heavy with grief, death, and unimaginable loss around the world. Can the MCU ever recover from such tragedy?
In This Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, I’m breaking down the visuals, the story, a full PG-13 age rating explanation for violence, adult themes and language, and what kids’ age recommendation is suggested to watch in this new Wakanda Forever parents guide to the new Marvel Cinematic Universe film. A no-spoiler parent review of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, can Marvel Studios survive and can the fans endure without the beloved Chadwick Boseman?
Or is the grief too much for the world to endure?
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The Visuals
The regality of the Wakanda regime, from landscapes to the CGI technology to the costuming, the visuals are even better in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever than the original 2018 film. I had the honor of watching this newest Marvel film IMAX, and it was not a disappointment.
From the bright colors, the CGI sequences, the explosive action, Marvel certainly has not lost their touch in Phase IV to bring this super hero film to life on the big screen.
No photosensitive visual effects warning found in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for those with potential seizure or eye/light issues. Quite a few scenes in darkness, flashes of bright light from weapons fired, but overall nothing that would be a potential medical threat.
The Story
As the Wakanda strives to embrace the next chapter for the nation in the wake of King T’Challa’s death (figuratively and literally), Angela Bassett (“What’s Love Got to Do With It“) as Queen Ramonda, Letitia Wright (“Death on the Nile“) as Shuri, Winston Duke (“Us“) as M’Baku, Danai Gurira (“The Walking Dead“) as Okoye, Lupita Nyong’o (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker“) as Nakia, Martin Freeman (“Sherlock“) as Everett Ross and the Dora Milaje all return to the big screen to fight for the kingdom of Wakanda.
A new enemy emerges in the wake of a grieving nation. And Wakanda must find a way to save their beloved home. Familiar friends line up with a new cast of characters as a broken nation must find a way to rebuild or be destroyed. The storyline is everything in this new Marvel film. Not quite the old formula for the early phases, but you can see how even the MCU has changed since the death of T’Challa.
More mature, more thoughtful, more raw and emotional, this Black Panther 2 sequel connects characters with the audience in an overwhelming, cathartic grief journey that only Marvel can produce. The storyline is fluid, engaging, and constantly moving – one of the best scripts from Marvel, in my opinion. While I had my doubts about Shuri in this sequel, I have to give Letitia’s performance huge applause. She had big shoes to fill. But M’Baku is still my favorite Wakandan. His performance is *chef’s kiss.*
Beyond super heroes, action-packed scenes and explosions, the power of grief – the physical, mental, and emotional anguish – is the bloodline of this film. And seeing super heroes, Wakanda, and a world connect on such a deep, personal level – that’s the power of filmmaking. And I cannot applaud Marvel enough for this movie – the most important Marvel film in the MCU repertoire to date.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever PG-13 Rating Explained
Is Black Panther Wakanda Forever safe for kids? As we all know, not every Marvel release is the same. And with Marvel pushing the envelope on TV-14 and PG-13 ratings these days (remember an almost TV-MA rated Werewolf By Night special presentation, an overly adult themed She-Hulk series or the shocking Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness film with horror sprinkled throughout?), some people say that kids are no longer welcome to the Marvel super hero party.
Is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever too scary for kids? Or is this more of the Marvel predictable age rating along the lines of the original Black Panther film that parents and kids love?
Why Is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever rated PG-13? In this Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, this Marvel Black Panther 2 film sequel is rated PG-13 for “sequences of strong violence, action and some language.” With film and TV ratings also unpredictable these days, having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie or television show like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is kid friendly. Is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for kids? Or are there big red flags for parents? Let’s breakdown that PG-13 age rating in this Black Panther: Wakanda Forever parents guide.
Adult Themes. Grief, death and loss are recurring themes throughout this film. For sensitive kids, especially those who have lost loved ones, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may be triggering.
Other adult themes include a scene of a woman “giving birth.” This scene could be considered slightly “graphic” for those children who have not had experience with the birthing process. There are some bare midriffs and shown on women and men, one naked baby. A few hugs, hand holding and a kiss on the head round out the rest of the overall mild adult themes (outside of the obvious main theme).
Violence/Suspense. Again, I emphasize how “death” is a common recurring theme throughout this film. There are many violent scenes throughout Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Violence can be somewhat graphic in nature with multiple killings, stabbings, shootings, intense action sequences, use of guns and weapons, and mild gore (mostly scratches, a bloody nose, fire).
There are a couple of suspenseful jump scares that may startle kids as well. Intensity of the action and violence in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is on par with the original Black Panther film.
Language. Heavier than the original film, I counted quite a few swear words in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Bad language references include 9 “sh!t” uses, 1 “bullsh!t” phrase, 6 “h-e-double-hockey-sticks” lines, 1 “@ss.”
Milder language phrases include “piss off,” “oh my g-d,” “J*sus,” “stupid,” and multiple mentions of “demon” and “S@tan.” Mild by Marvel standards, but overall much more than “some language” when compared to the original Black Panther movie.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Movie Age Rating for Kids
With a run time of 2 hours 41 minutes, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is almost 30 minutes more than the original film and 21 minutes shy of Avengers: Endgame. Fully anticipating an emergency bathroom break, I was surprised how fast the time flew during this film.
While dialogue heavy, the constant action, new characters and engaging storyline kept from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever from dragging on. Not a dull moment or awkward silence to be found at all.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever overall felt very much on par with the early phases of Marvel films – right in the Avengers wheelhouse for being more kid friendly and family friendly than the later Marvel releases.
Black Panther 2 has 1 mid-credit scene to see. And it’s worth the wait. No need to stay until the very end of credits for this Marvel release for more. (So you can hurry to the bathroom after a long 2 hour 41 minute movie!)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is rated PG-13 for “sequences of strong violence, action and some language” by the MPAA. 
Based on my Black Panther: Wakanda Forever parents guide and mom review above, this parent movie reviewer would not recommend Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to kids younger than the age of 6-7 years old.
Based on my Black Panther: Wakanda Forever parents guide and mom review above, your child’s sensitivity to violence and recurring death/grief/loss themes are the most concerning factors for kids. If your child has watched the 2018 Black Panther movie and the Avengers series, then most likely Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is ok for your kids.
Considering the full PG-13 rating breakdown above, this parent movie reviewer would not recommend Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to kids younger than the age of 6-7 years old. I still recommend parents to prescreen the new Marvel Black Panther 2 film for violence sequences, death/grief scenes and foul language. Overall, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is more kid-friendly and family-friendly Marvel movie, a welcome come back to the original phases of MCU. My sensitive 9-year old daughter would still love and appreciate Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I honestly can’t wait for her to see it.
The Overall
I fully expected Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to be a huge disappointment after the death of beloved star Chadwick Boseman. Without the iconic Black Panther super hero, how can a movie ever live up to such MCU expectations?
I can thankfully exhale. Marvel raised the bar on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This movie will never surpass the original – just as no one will ever replace Chadwick as THE Black Panther. But this movie allows audiences to feel, to mourn, to heal together.
And that’s the difference between DC and Marvel. It wasn’t the usual Marvel formula. But at the heart of everything was the story, the relationships, and the connection to the audience. Every moment of this film, every shot, every emotion, every action-packed sequence was thoughtfully done as a kingly tribute to T’Challa.
The overwhelming stages of grief are palpable. The outpouring of raw emotion, the tears – all real. It’s regal yet messy, refined and yet unrefined. This movie sequel is a grief journey with power beyond super heroes. Death is not the end of this king’s legacy. It’s just the beginning.
Follow Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on social media:
- Website: https://www.marvel.com/movies/black-panther-wakanda-forever
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackPantherMovie
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/theblackpanther
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackpanther/
- #WakandaForever
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the long awaited Marvel super hero sequel film, arrives in theaters on Friday November 11, 2022. Will your family be watching?
I was invited to screen the new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever film in exchange for this Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide. All photos courtesy of Marvel/Disney. Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more movie updates, celebrity interviews, entertainment and behind-the-scenes info!
Sarah Harris says
I can’t wait to see this movie and, to be honest, the first one. I never got to see it before it went out at Theatre so I am so happy that some theatres are showing a double feature. I appreciate your thorough review!