In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, many of the characters that fans have grown to know and love make a welcome return to the big screen, with a few exceptions.
Chadwick Boseman, as fans well know, sadly died following a battle with cancer in August 2020, before the making of the second Black Panther solo film, and he only appears in the film through flashbacks.
The other actor that does not return for the film is Daniel Kaluuya, who plays Wakandan character W'Kabi in the first Black Panther.
How 'Black Panther 2' Explains Daniel Kaluuya's Character W'Kabi's Absence
W'Kabi was a one-time confidant of Boseman's King T'Challa, and he was also the head of security of Wakanda's border tribe.
In Black Panther, he joined forces against T'Challa and sided with his cousin Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) after the villain had beaten T'Challa in single combat. Killmonger then manipulated W'Kabi into waging war against his people.
In Wakanda Forever, it is explained that W'Kabi is in exile as a direct result of his actions in the first film, though he is still residing within the country.
The reveal comes as W'Kabi's wife Okoye (Danai Gurira) comes under fire by Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) for not stopping her daughter Shuri (Letitia Wright) from being taken by villain Namor (Tenoch Huerta).
Queen Ramonda and her council remark upon Okoye's failure and how she had once turned against the regent and her family in Black Panther by staying loyal to the throne, and thus Killmonger, but it was her decision to turn her spear against husband W'Kabi that ensured she was able to keep her spot as the leader of the Dora Milaje.
When considering what to do with Okoye, the council considers banishing her like her husband but in the end settle for stripping her of her rank and removing her from the elite fighting squad.
Director Ryan Coogler confirmed W'Kabi's whereabouts in an interview before the release of Wakanda Forever, telling CinemaBlend: "Yeah, he's basically banished, but still in Wakanda's borders. Yeah, does that make sense? So, there's one line [in Wakanda Forever] that refers to him still being alive."
Actor Kaluuya was previously reported by Variety to not be returning to the film in July 2022, and the publication claimed he was unable to film the Marvel flick because of his prior commitments to Jordan Peele's film Nope.
Although the actor did not appear in the film, Kaluuya still attended the world premiere for Wakanda Forever in Los Angeles on October 26.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is out in theaters now.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Roxy Simons is a Newsweek TV and Film Reporter (SEO), based in London, U.K. Her focus is reporting on the ... Read more
