Angela Bassett plays Queen Ramonda, regent of Wakanda and mother of T’Challa and Shuri, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The actress has had to dig deep to fully immerse herself in her role after the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman. In a recent interview with IndieWire, Bassett talked about what it was like to be Queen Ramonda again after four years.
“I just felt a responsibility,” Bassett said. “I remember the first day, the first scene where I had to sit [en el trono], it was like, ‘How exactly do I feel here? What’s the best stance to convey who you are?”
“First of all, you recognize that feeling you had that T’Challa/Chadwick was sitting here, and should be sitting here. And then there’s Killmonger, who sat there for a minute. And who deserves it? Who has right to sit here? Yes, right now, right now, it’s Ramonda. But how do I maintain that posture? How do I address myself?”
Queen Ramonda takes center stage in the second film, in which she has to navigate a Boseman-less Wakanda. The film, which has already been a box office success in its first week of release, has already made talk of a best supporting actress nomination for Bassett at this year’s Oscars ceremony.
Warning: Black Panther Wakanda Forever spoilers ahead.
Bassett also spoke of the Shocking New Movie Twist: Ramonda’s Death. When director Ryan Coogler broke the news to Bassett, she was not very enthusiastic about the decision.
“I objected,” he said. “Yeah, I was like, ‘Ryan, what are you doing? Why? You’re going to regret it. You’re going to be sorry Ramonda’s disappearance. People are going to be very upset.'”
Coogler then explained himself. “‘He was like, ‘Angela, I know, I know, but he looks, dying isn’t really dying in this world. It doesn’t have to really mean that,'” he said.
Coogler was right; in his eyes, it was not impossible that Ramonda could return one day. “All kinds of crazy things happen,” Bassett explained.
Here you can see our review of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.