Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to honor the legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman by moving forward in telling the story of Wakanda and its impact on the rest of the world. The upcoming MCU sequel will bring back notable characters, such as Letitia Wright's Shuri, Danai Gugira's Okoye, Angela Basset's Ramonda, and Winston Duke's M'Baku. In addition, Black Panther 2 will also showcase the MCU debut of Tenoch Huerta as the Atlantean King, Namor.
Even though the film is slated for a November release this year, very little is known about its plot and how it would impact the rest of the MCU. However, the introduction of Atlantis in the sequel's story suggests that a war is coming between the two countries, meaning that Wakanda needs to have all hands on deck to better prepare for the worst.
Now, a new confirmation has revealed that a key member of the Wakandan tribe will not appear in the sequel despite a previous listing suggesting otherwise.
Daniel Kaluuya Won't Return for Black Panther 2
Daniel Kaluuya, via his interview with Rotten Tomatoes Awards Editor Jacqueline Coley, confirmed that he won't be returning as W'Kabi in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever due to scheduling conflicts:
"BREAKING NEWS: Fresh from my NOPE interview with Daniel Kaluuya, he did not reprise his role in #BlackPanther2 due to his schedule conflicts w/ #NOPE!It's official he's not in #BlackPantherWakandaForever"
However, a previous listing from a Marvel costume designer revealed that she was an assistant for Kaluuya for the MCU sequel. The Nope actor may have initially been listed as part of the cast of Black Panther 2, but scheduling conflicts caused the plans to change.
Wakanda Lost Another Significant Ally
Daniel Kaluuya's W'Kabi had a significant role in the first Black Panther movie, starting off as T'Challa's best friend before turning into an adversary by aligning with Kilmonger. The character's heel turn was one of the interesting aspects of the first film, but unfortunately, this confirmation indicates that his story will not continue in the sequel.
Given that Marvel Studios already confirmed that T'Challa would not be recast due to Chadwick Boseman's demise, there's a strong chance that Wakanda Forever is the end of the road for the character. That said, it will be a missed opportunity to not feature W'Kabi in the sequel, considering the shared history between him and T'Challa.
It is currently unknown how Black Panther 2 will pay tribute to Boseman's T'Challa. It's possible that the character will have already met his demise off-screen, leading to an emotional funeral featuring the character's former and current allies. If that happens in the film, then a plethora of cameos could be featured, and a notable candidate could be Kaluuya's Wakandan character.
While the Get Out actor has already confirmed that he will not reprise his MCU role, this isn't the first time that Marvel stars have lied about their involvement in a project. It's likely that W'Kabi will have a minor role in the sequel to tie up loose ends in his friendship with T'Challa.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to premiere in theaters on Friday, November 11.
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