Angela Bassett Details Difficult Stunts For Major Black Panther 2 Scene

Angela Bassett has talked about how difficult it was to participate in one of Queen Ramonda’s stunts in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Angela Bassett, a star actor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, reveals just how challenging the final stunt was as Queen Ramonda. The sequel to Black Panther, which saw Namor of Talokan ignite a war against Wakanda, was the swan song for Queen Ramonda. As Queen of Wakanda, Ramonda desperately tried to keep the people around her safe. In her final scene, she managed to protect Riri Williams but lost her life.

As much as the scene was touching and painful, Bassett reveals that it wasn’t easy to film. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she revealed just how difficult every step of the process was, especially when compared to everything else she had on her plate. That glorious scene that showed the love deep in Ramonda’s heart was an actor straining against a dozen limitations.

Oh my gosh. Well, they’re trying to keep you comfortable by putting you in an undergarment of a scuba suit. A neoprene wet suit. Then you have this beautiful silk organza, whatever, purple dress over it. Ruth has planned that because it is going to look a certain way when you’re underwater. Those other glorious costumes would not look that good underwater. So you have this on top of it. And they are throwing water bombs at you, spraying you, just hour upon hour.

You’re doing French hours [with no pause for meals], so you don’t have a break in between. You are just constantly wet for about 12 straight hours. You’re trying to eat your lunch on your lap, you’re trying to take a nap, and yet you have this wet neoprene and this wet dress. The worst part is when you have to go to the little girls’ room and you’re pulling wet neoprene off your body. It was just very interesting — not. But all for the good, all for the glory, all for the beauty. It looks far more beautiful than it felt.

Related: Wakanda Forever’s Original Story Would’ve Been A Perfect Phase 4 Movie

How Black Panther 2 Brought Its Underwater World To Life

While Wakanda Forever only showed 10% of Talokan, thanks to the fact that the majority of the film took place on the surface, that 10% was tough to produce. Blending CGI with practical effects, the Wētā FX team had to try numerous methods to make a complete underwater city. With a complex race of underwater civilians and warriors alike, the VFX team had to work tirelessly to produce realistic water effects, not to mention the hours of makeup each actor required to have completely blue skin above the surface.

The film also did an incredible job of tying real-world history to Namor’s underwater city. Whereas the comic version of Namor relies solely on Atlantean myths, Wakanda Forever creators worked to establish a new personal narrative for the city that helped to link it to the isolated Wakanda while also giving Namor the motivation he needed to seek war against the surface world. The exploration of colonialism helped to make Namor more sympathetic, just as showcasing kind nurses from the city made the fight less one-sided, especially since the people of Talokan look somewhat alien. It brought them to life and made their outright assault against Wakanda understandable, even if it resulted in Queen Ramonda’s death.

Can Queen Ramonda Return Again?

While she may have died in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, death is rarely the end in the Marvel universe. Bassett has discussed a return to the MCU, though how she would go about reappearing remains in question. She could appear in flashbacks or scenes after a character swallows the heart-shaped herb, which would be an easy vehicle for bringing her back for a cameo. Given Wakanda’s technological prominence, it could also be possible that they could eventually develop a tool for bringing characters back. With Bassett wanting a potential return, it is more likely that the mother of Wakanda can appear again.

More: Black Panther 2 Twist Made “Wakanda Forever” An Even More Perfect TitleSource: The Hollywood Reporter