Fans React to Wakanda Forever’s Moment of Silence for Chadwick Boseman: ‘Never Cried at the Marvel Studios Logo Before’

After Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa in Marvel’s Black Panther, died in 2020, Marvel honored the late actor with a logo sequence that featured clips of him. Now, Marvel is honoring Boseman once again by including the logo in the new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Marvel initially debuted the tribute logo on Boseman’s birthday in 2020 and later added it to Black Panther on Disney+. In Wakanda Forever, which premiered today, the logo makes its full debut, playing before the movie begins.

Long live the King. #WakandaForever pic.twitter.com/uW1KisOkTq

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) November 29, 2020

Shorn of the usual triumphant fanfare that greets most MCU films, the logo doubles as a kind of moment of silence for Boseman. It sets the mood for an introspective blockbuster that functions as a feature-length tribute to the late actor.

It seems to have had the desired effects. Fans have pointed out that the logo’s appearance in Wakanda Forever has led to “stunned silence” in theaters:

This is exactly how my screening of Wakanda Forever went as well. The stunned silence during the Marvel logo was unlike any theater experience I’ve had. https://t.co/ePXzDNTYkI

— Brandon Palma (@palmabrandon) November 11, 2022

“You could hear a pin drop in my screening while that was playing,” IGN writer Alex Stedman said. “Really nice moment of silence for him.”

My entire theater was completely silent during the opening Marvel Studios logo of #BlackPanther Wakanda Forever. So powerful! pic.twitter.com/7zZrlrzp5m

— BLURAYANGEL ? (@blurayangel) November 11, 2022

One moviegoer even felt like the logo was enough to move on to tears.

WAKANDA FOREVER: never cried at the Marvel Studios logo before.

— devincf (@devincf) November 11, 2022

Boseman died at 43 after a four year-long fight against colon cancer. While he was best known for his role in Black Panther, which became the first superhero movie to earn a Best Picture nomination, he also took on on numerous other leading roles, including Jackie Robinson in 42 and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall.

We gave Wakanda Forever a seven in our review, praising its tributes to its fallen king and performances from returning cast members.

“Director/co-writer Ryan Coogler’s efforts are at their most powerful when Wakanda Forever is in conversation with the loss of T’Challa – of Chadwick Boseman. The specifics of Wakanda Forever’s long-winded plot will likely leave little impact, but that doesn’t stop the new Black Panther from standing tall,” reviewer Tom Jorgensen wrote.

If you’ve already seen Wakanda Forever, check our Ending Explained video as well as how Namor’s past sets up X-Men’s future.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.