By Zach Johnson
Talk about a royal reception!
Marvel Studios rolled out the purple carpet in Hollywood Wednesday night to celebrate the world premiere of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Stars Letitia Wright (Shuri), Lupita Nyong’o (War Dog Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Angela Bassett (Queen Ramonda), Tenoch Huerta Mejía (Namor), Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams), Michaela Coel (Aneka), Alex Livinalli (Attuma), and Mabel Cadena (Namora) attended the event alongside writer and director Ryan Coogler; producers Kevin Feige and Nate Moore; executive producers Victoria Alonso and Louis D’Esposito; composer Ludwig Göransson; and global music superstar Rihanna, who performs “Lift Me Up,” the lead single from the film’s official soundtrack.
“This is a special moment to be coming back to this film [franchise] and to be doing so without [Disney Legend] Chadwick Boseman,” Nyong’o told reporters on the purple carpet. “We very much made this film in his honor and with him in mind, and we carry him with us. It feels special to be back, and I’m very ready to share this with the world. Hopefully, it is received with the same amount of love and generosity we made it with.”
Echoing Nyong’o’s sentiment, Wright said, “It feels like a true honor. It feels like an opportunity for us as a family to just come together and make something that’s really, really beautiful. I’m just incredibly proud of the whole team—the whole cast and crew.”
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) stars including Xochitl Gomez, Jameela Jamil, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Simu Liu, Kumail Nanjiani, Kathryn Newton, Regé-Jean Page, and Tessa Thompson also attended the world premiere, making them among the first to see the sequel before it opens in theaters on Friday, November 11.
Until then, enjoy more photos from the world premiere:
