Honestly, walking into a Marvel movie usually feels like you’re signing up for a lot of green screens and tennis balls on sticks. But for Angela Bassett in Black Panther, it was never just a "comic book gig." When Ryan Coogler first brought her into the fold as Queen Ramonda, the stakes were high. By the time Wakanda Forever rolled around, those stakes had transformed into something deeply personal, agonizing, and—eventually—historic.
We’ve all seen the memes of her looking majestic in those 3D-printed crowns, but the actual reality of her performance goes way beyond aesthetics.
That "Have I Not Given Everything" Scene Was Mostly Raw Grief
You know the one. The scene where Ramonda finally snaps at Okoye in the throne room. Her voice cracks, her eyes are wild, and she screams about having sacrificed her entire family for the throne.
People think that was just great "acting." It wasn't. Not entirely.
The cast was literally filming while still processing the death of Chadwick Boseman. Bassett has mentioned in several interviews that she didn't have to "find" the grief for the sequel; she was living in it. She’s gone on record saying she told herself to just "use it" and not be ashamed of the tears. When you see Ramonda mourning T’Challa on screen, you aren't seeing a character; you’re seeing Angela Bassett mourning a friend she loved.
It’s heavy.
Why Angela Bassett in Black Panther Almost Didn't Have a Death Scene
Here is something kind of wild: Bassett actually fought against Ramonda’s death.
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When she first read the script for Wakanda Forever, she got to the page where Ramonda drowns saving Riri Williams and she was devastated. She actually went to Ryan Coogler and protested. She felt like the fans had already lost too much—they lost the King, they shouldn't lose the Queen Mother too.
Coogler had to sit her down and explain the narrative necessity of it. To him, Shuri needed to be completely untethered to finally find her own path as the Black Panther. Bassett eventually made peace with it, but she was "gobsmacked" (her own word) when she first saw it on the page. She didn't get a warning. She just turned the page and realized she was out of a job.
The Award Season That Changed the MCU Forever
Let’s talk about the Oscars because it’s still a sore spot for a lot of people.
For the longest time, the Academy treated Marvel movies like popcorn fodder. High technical merit? Sure. Give 'em a trophy for Sound Mixing. But acting? Forget about it. Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever shattered that ceiling. She became the first person ever to get an acting Oscar nomination for a Marvel Cinematic Universe role.
- The Win Streak: She took home the Golden Globe.
- The Critics: She cleaned up at the Critics Choice Awards.
- The Snub: When Jamie Lee Curtis won the Oscar instead, the internet basically broke.
The "Angela Bassett face" became an instant viral moment. While some people called her a "sore loser" because she didn't jump up and cheer, she later explained that she was just being human. She was disappointed. She had put in the work. In her own words, she felt the win was "a given" based on the momentum, and the loss was a "supreme disappointment."
It’s refreshing to hear a celeb actually admit that losing sucks instead of doing the fake-happy clap.
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Creating the Voice of Wakanda
Developing that regal, South African-inspired accent wasn't just a matter of hiring a coach. Bassett and the dialect coach, Beth McGuire, spent hours digging through YouTube. Bassett actually used specific phrases from Winnie Mandela to get into the headspace of a leader.
She’d recite these phrases right before the camera rolled to ground herself in that specific rhythm.
It wasn't just about sounding "African." It was about sounding like a woman who had spent decades holding a nation together through isolation, war, and the death of her husband. There’s a weight to her vowels that you don't hear in other characters. It’s heavy, deliberate, and sort of intimidating.
The Physicality of a 60-Something Queen
Can we talk about the arms? Because everyone else was.
Bassett was in her mid-60s during the filming of the sequel, and she looked more fit than people half her age. But the physical prep wasn't just about looking good in a sleeveless gown. She had to learn specific swim strokes for the underwater sequences and handle the weight of costumes that were essentially wearable art.
Ruth E. Carter, the costume designer, made sure Ramonda’s outfits were "grand but simple." Those white Zulu-inspired hats and the intricate shoulder pieces weren't just for show—they forced Bassett to carry herself with a specific posture. You can't slouch when you're wearing a masterpiece.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Her Role
The biggest misconception is that Ramonda was just a "supporting" background character until the second movie.
If you go back and rewatch the first Black Panther, she is the one who keeps the family's spirit alive when Killmonger takes the throne. She’s the one who trekked through the mountains to find the Jabari. Bassett played her with a quiet dignity that laid the groundwork for the powerhouse performance we saw in the sequel.
Without Bassett's steady hand in the first film, the emotional payoff of her death in the second wouldn't have landed half as hard.
Moving Forward After Wakanda
If you’re looking to really appreciate what Bassett did here, don't just stop at the movies. You’ve gotta look at the ripple effect.
Her nomination paved the way for the Academy to start taking genre performances seriously. It proved that you can deliver "high art" while wearing a vibranium-infused dress. If you’re a fan or an aspiring creator, there are a few things you can take away from how she handled this era of her career:
- Lean into the grief: Don't hide your real emotions when you're creating. Bassett’s best scenes came from her real-life pain.
- Advocate for your character: Even if she lost the argument about Ramonda dying, she forced the director to justify it, which likely made the scene stronger.
- Own your disappointment: It’s okay to want the win. Bassett’s honesty about the Oscars is a masterclass in being authentic in a fake industry.
Angela Bassett’s time in Wakanda might be over, but the blueprint she left for "prestige" superhero acting isn't going anywhere. She didn't just play a queen; she set the standard for how everyone else should play one.