Moviegoers will not get to see Daniel Kaluuya reprise his role as W’Kabi in the first Black Panther sequel.
Deadline reports Kaluuya had to pull out of the movie due to scheduling conflicts with the upcoming film Nope. The W’Kabi character is the head of security for the Border Tribe in the fictional country of Wakanda.
There have been several setbacks with the highly-anticipated superhero motion picture now titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Most notably, Black Panther lead actor Chadwick Boseman passed away from colon cancer in 2020.
In addition, Letitia Wright faced backlash for her stance on the COVID-19 vaccine which led to some fans calling for her removal from the cast. Wright remained in the movie, but filmmakers had to suspend the production after the British actress suffered a serious injury on set.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the filming of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The Disney Studios-produced movie halted production earlier this year after several cast and crew members tested positive for coronavirus.
While Daniel Kaluuya will not be in Black Panther 2, the Marvel Cinematic Universe feature will reportedly include Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, and Martin Freeman. Ryan Coogler returns as the co-writer and director.
Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) will next appear in director Jordan Peele’s Nope which will hit North American theaters on July 22. Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun also have prominent roles in the forthcoming science fiction horror.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is scheduled for release on November 11. The first movie became a cultural phenomenon that broke several box office records in 2018. Black Panther brought in a worldwide total of $1.3 billion. It also garnered seven Academy Award nominations, including a nod for Best Picture.