In a recent interview, one WWE star said he was given a role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but "it got taken away."
The MCU is no stranger to WWE, most notably with Dave Bautista having played Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and Seth Rollins having filmed for a role in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World.
Most recently, WWE's Tyler Mane reprised his Fox Marvel role as Sabretooth in one scene of Deadpool & Wolverine.
Damian Priest Reveals His Cut Black Panther Role
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, WWE star Damian Priest shared that he had been given a role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but it was "taken away from [him]."
Priest did not outright say that it was the WWE that canceled his role, but he did imply it by saying that it was "not from Marvel" and saying "exactly" when Vliet alluded to leadership changes (presumably, former WWE CEO Vince McMahon):
Vliet: "There was talk about you being in ‘Black Panther 2.’ What ended up happening there?"
Priest: "It’s a long story, but basically… it got taken away from me, but not from Marvel."
Vliet: "Did you have the role?"
Priest: "Yeah."
Priest said that "it'd be cool" if he got the opportunity to play a different role for Marvel, and that he is "ready."
He also said that he is "good with it," because not doing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever put him on the route to becoming a Wrestlemania "champ:"
"Look, come what may, I’m good with it, you know? Maybe I’d do something like that, I’d go a different route, and I’m not sitting here with you as the world champ, y’know like being a world champion. Like, I won a world championship at Wrestlemania. I don’t know if that happens [if he had been in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever']."
Fans are expressing their anger toward McMahon on social media. For instance, @Jadl1719 on X (formerly Twitter) posted, "Vince McMahon you will not see paradise," while @DarthRelic said, "Taking away opportunities from your own employees which would look good for your company. Wild."
What Would Have Been Damian Priest's Role in Black Panther 2?
It seems that the most likely role Priest would have been given is Namor.
In 2022, there were reports that Priest allegedly read lines for Namor. However, Tenoch Huerta ended up playing Namor in the Black Panther sequel.
This is not confirmed, and Priest could have been set to play any number of other new characters introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, such as Attuma. It is also possible that his role was removed from the movie after Priest left the project.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming on Disney+.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
