Contrary to what fans had hoped, recent reports indicate that Daniel Kaluuya, who played W’Kabi in the original 2018 Black Panther film directed by Ryan Coogler, won’t be appearing in the upcoming sequel, Marvel’s Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever. The Oscar winner confirmed this in a recent interview with Rotten Tomatoes Awards editor Jacqueline Coley ahead of the release of his next movie, Jordan Peele’s horror Nope.
Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever – Kaluuya Will Be Seen In Nope
Coley took to her Twitter page to reveal the breaking news, saying that Kaluuya cited “scheduling conflicts with Nope” as the reason he could not reprise his role as W’Kabi, who spearheaded security for Wakanda’s Border Tribe. His character was also the confidant and best friend of Wakanda heir T’Challa, played by the late Chadwick Boseman. While Kaluuya won’t reprise that role, it’s unclear whether Marvel cast a different actor to take his place or whether the character was entirely cut from the narrative.
However, the original cast, including Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett, will all return to reprise their roles in the upcoming installment.
We still don’t have a trailer or specific plot elements for Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever, which will hit theatres in just a few months. Following the passing of Boseman in 2020, the sequel has been reshaped. Marvel recently made a major announcement that it will not be recasting his lead role but would instead pay tribute to Boseman’s legacy and continue to explore the world of Wakanda.
Jordan Peele, the writer and director of Nope, and Kaluuya first worked together in Get Out (2015), Peele’s directorial debut, which earned critical acclaim and catapulted both of their careers to new heights. Starring along with Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun, Kaluuya plays OJ Haywood in the sci-fi horror movie, which will be released in theatres on July 22. Check out the trailer above.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever finished filming in March and is scheduled for release later in the year on November 11.
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