Frustrating news, Marvel Cinematic Universe junkies. Marvel Studios' highly anticipated Black Panther sequel just lost a key actor in Daniel Kaluuya who plays W'Kabi in the franchise. Turns out, the two-time Academy Award winner will not be reprising his role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever despite being previously listed as part of the project.
Speaking with Rotten Tomatoes editor Jacqueline Coley, the 33-year-old British actor reveals that scheduling conflicts prevented him from joining the MCU film which would've honored the late Chadwick Boseman. The project Kaluuya had to prioritize is Jordan Peele's upcoming Horror flick Nope which is set to hit theaters this month.
Taking to her Twitter account, Coley writes: "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!" Check out the tweet below:
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Considering W'Kabi is T'Challa's best friend and also serves as Okoye's love interest in the franchise, one would assume that he would've played an important role in Wakanda Forever now that the second Black Panther is gone.
While I'm not saying that W'Kabi is in contention to become T'Challa's official successor as Black Panther, he could've at least been instrumental in choosing Wakanda's next protector. It's a shame, really but here's to hoping we'll see him return down the line.
Now, it'll be interesting to see if there are other actors who won't be reprising their roles in the sequel.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits cinemas on November 11, 2022.
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