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“Auntie. We love you.”
Five simple words from broadcaster Michael B.
As Jordan and Majors took the stage to present the award for best cinematography — two categories after the supporting actress award went to “Everything, Everywhere, Every Time” star Jamie Lee Curtis — the two men took a moment to speak to Bassett, seated across from them.
“Hey Auntie,” Jordan began, echoing his dialogue from 2018’s “Black Panther,” in which his character Eric Killmonger slyly introduces himself to Queen Bassett Ramonda.
Majors snapped from there, adding, “We love you.” (Both actors are graduates of the Yale School of Drama.)
The kind words came from Jordan and Majors while online lamenting the loss of Bassett — and the somber look on her face when her name wasn’t called — by sharing a clip of her as Queen Ramonda, exclaiming, “Didn’t I give it all up?” in the 2022 Marvel Studios movie “Wakanda Forever.” .
Bassett was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in the sequel to Black Panther, in which she portrays the ruler of the kingdom of Wakanda, the Afro-futuristic home of the Black Panther. The acknowledgment marked her second nod, the first coming in the 29-year-old in the Best Actress category for portraying Tina Turner in What Does Love Do to Him. This year, Bassett is nominated alongside “Everything and Everywhere at the Same Time” actors Curtis and Stephanie Hsu, “The Banshees of Inisherin” star Kerry Condon, and “The Whale” actor Hung Chu.
To many in this awards season cycle, Bassett seemed like a frontrunner for the award. She was honored with a Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and NAACP Image Award, among others, though it was not considered an Academy Award submission. It has also been nominated by the Screen Actors Guild (with the award going to Curtis) and at the BAFTA (where Condon won).
Made after the death of franchise star Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has actor and director Ryan Coogler channeling their grief over their loss into a powerful tribute. Had Bassett won, she would have been the first actress starring in a Marvel Studios film to win an Academy Award, continuing Black Panther’s strong legacy at the Academy Awards.
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