Wakanda Forever Recreated The DCEU’s Most Infamous Scene

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever recreates the most infamous scene from the DCEU’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice but fixes its narrative problems and turns it into a fitting conclusion. In 2016, both the MCU and the DCEU released crossover events where their two flagship heroes fought each other. But while Captain America: Civil War garnered an overwhelmingly positive reception from fans and critics, Batman v Superman sparked controversy due to some specific storytelling decisions. Criticisms included Batman’s absent no-killing rule and Doomsday’s rushed introduction.

Arguably its most infamous moment is what has become known as Batman v Superman‘s “Martha” scene. After a brutal battle between the two heroes, a kryptonite spear-armed Batman decides to spare Superman because he utters the name of his mother, Martha, which just so happens to be the name of Batman’s mother as well. Curiously, Wakanda Forever recreates this moment near its ending. Shuri has the chance to kill Namor with a spear of her own but chooses not to because she believes her late mother, Ramonda, wouldn’t have approved. Then she joins forces with Namor, whose mother had also been killed, and makes peace with his kingdom.

Why Shuri Sparing Namor Worked in Wakanda Forever

Although Shuri forgives Namor by the time of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s ending, the weight of her decision had been eating at her since the beginning of the movie. Wakanda Forever takes Shuri on a journey of acceptance and forgiveness. She goes from dwelling on her brother’s death to finally moving on, as well as from wishing to exact revenge for her mother’s death to sparing her murderer for the sake of her kingdom. Shuri’s conversation with Namor in Talokan teaches her that Namor’s aggressive defense of his kingdom is somewhat justified, and she even learns about the love Namor’s mother had for him as a child. They relate to each other through their mothers.

When Shuri sees Killmonger in the Ancestral Plane later in the film, he helps her understand the difference between him and her family. Killmonger wouldn’t hesitate to murder those who did him wrong, but while alive, Ramonda and T’Challa would choose the more honorable option and forgive them, as T’Challa does with Baron Zemo in Civil War. When Shuri finds herself with the opportunity to kill Namor, she spares him and places peace above vengeance. On the other hand, the reason behind Batman’s mercy in Batman v Superman is a mere coincidence. Batman conveniently happens to see the humanity in Superman purely because he utters “Martha” without further context.

Why The MCU’s Hero Vs Hero Fights Continue To Thrive

Civil War has so far been the MCU’s biggest hero v hero conflict in the MCU. Thor 5 could be the biggest hero fight yet, but the MCU’s trend of pitting heroes against each other started as early as The Avengers. It continued to evolve throughout the Infinity Saga. Some of the most popular battles between MCU heroes across Phases 1 through 3 are Iron Man v Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man v Falcon in Ant-Man, and Hulk v Thor in Thor: Ragnarok. In Phase 4, movies and shows such as Loki, Eternals, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have been keeping the trend alive.

The inherent appeal of fan-favorite heroes battling each other aside, it’s the conflicts between different moralities that make these fights interesting. Each hero has a specific viewpoint, and they’re willing to fight their own teammates in defense of it. Iron Man’s support of the Sokovia Accords rules clashes with Captain America’s belief in superhero autonomy in Civil War, for example. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice follows this pattern with Batman’s aversion towards Superman’s godlike nature. However, their conflict devolves into a series of coincidences, most notoriously the “Martha” solution. Fortunately, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever integrates the main themes of Ryan Coogler’s story into its conflict to avoid a similar contrivance.