Can you make a Black Panther movie without Chadwick Boseman? Sort of.

The late great actor’s presence looms large over Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the excellent sequel to the MCU’s lone Best Picture nominee thus far, and manifests itself in visual and spiritual forms.

Co-writer/director Ryan Coogler boldly doesn’t shy away from this tragic loss, opening with King T’Challa’s tech-savvy sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) and mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett) scrambling to make sense of their leader’s sudden illness and death.

A touching tribute via a reworking of the familiar Marvel Studios logo follows, and with the next use of footage from Black Panther not appearing for a few hours, T’Challa’s absence is palpable as Queen Ramonda attempts to govern in a role she never foresaw inhabiting.

The same may be said of Bassett and Wright, who surely expected to subsist as supporting players for multiple films with Boseman running the show. But in his absence, both rise to the occasion, imbuing their characters with a sense of melancholy and determination as the two women attempt to steer Wakanda forward in a manner they hope honors their fallen kin.

That path grows significantly twisty once Namor (Tenoch Huerta, Narcos: Mexico), the winged-foot, water-breathing head of the Talokanil people — an aquatic Mayan civilization, resembling a cross between the Atlanteans of Aquaman mated with Avatar’s Na'vi — infiltrates Wakanda. On threat of violence, he implores its rulers to join forces with his people in eliminating a U.S. scientist who invented a means of locating the vibranium on which both of their civilizations rely, inciting an intriguing moral conundrum for the Wakandans, who decide to investigate.

While scenes of Shuri and General Okoye (Danai Gurira) leaning on their stateside relationship with CIA Agent Ross (Martin Freeman) are amusing, as are the duo’s interactions with the offending scientist — 19-year-old MIT student Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne, If Beale Street Could Talk) — such exchanges feel increasingly extraneous as the film’s runtime winds towards its 160-minute conclusion.

And yet, Wakanda Forever is never boring. Blessed with another compelling villain with a reasonable cause, the film engages viewers on sensory and emotional levels, with visits to Talokan packing an especially potent punch.

The tragedy of Indigenous people at war with each other adds additional layers of intrigue and heartache, but also raises the stakes for a big final battle with more on its mind than mere global dominance. Aid from the self-exiled Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and tribal rival M’Baku (Winston Duke) provide further engagement — as does the inevitable return of the Black Panther, whose ethical complications lead to a deliciously unpredictable series of events.

Though the end results take nearly 30 minutes longer to be reached than in Black Panther, and many viewers will find Namor a far less worthy adversary than Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger, Coogler & Co.’s balancing of Boseman’s legacy with a fresh, new adventure is a different kind of achievement. Their ability to roll with mammoth unforeseen punches while setting up exciting future chapters warrants praise — along with your time and attention.

Grade: B-plus. Rated PG-13. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co., Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: Disney/Marvel Studios)