Okay, so “Wakanda Forever” has five endings and “The Return of the King” has nine endings (again, subjectively speaking). These are a lot to take in, especially at the end of each film’s emotional rollercoaster of a storyline. The question is, are they justified? Is there a good reason to ask viewers to sit through so many endings, or is it just an off-the-rails writers’ room or an ambitious director trying to cram everything into a truncated cinematic adaptation?
We’d like to posit that, often, the presence of too many endings is neither of those things. Instead, it’s often proof positive of the worthiness of a story to be told in the first place. Let’s explain.
“The Return of the King” is an iconic, beloved, and extensive story. Tolkien himself said in the foreword to “The Fellowship of the Ring” that the primary motive for writing the story was, in his words, “the desire of a tale-teller to try his hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them.” Most would agree that the Oxford professor succeeded in this self-appointed challenge. “The Lord of the Rings” is a superbly captivating story that is worth every second of the experience.
While it doesn’t have as rich of a history as “The Return of the King,” though, “Wakanda Forever” can also make its case for multiple endings. It was born out of a tragic and compelling set of circumstances, surrounding the unexpected passing of Chadwick Boseman. This generated a powerful creative dynamic, clearly visible both on-screen and behind the scenes. The entire movie has something to say, and it’s dripping with deeper meaning.
