Black Panther 2: Why Nope actor Daniel Kaluuya won't return as W’Kabi in the Marvel film?

Actor Daniel Kaluuya, who played the role of T'Challa's best friend W'Kabi in Marvel's Black Panther, won't be a part of the Black Panther 2 cast. The highly anticipated sequel, titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is set to release on November 11, 2022.

Marvel had earlier confirmed that they won't be recasting for the role of T'Challa following the untimely death of actor Chadwick Boseman. The film stars Lupita Nyong'o in the lead role as Nakia, along with several others in prominent supporting roles. With that said, read on to find out why Daniel Kaluuya won't return as W'Kabi in Black Panther part 2.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Daniel Kaluuya won't reprise his role in Black Panther sequel

Daniel Kaluuya told Rotten Tomatoes that he had to pull out of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever due to scheduling conflicts with Jordan Peele's movie, Nope; Peel's thriller will be released in theaters on July 22, 2022.

Jacqueline Coley of Rotten Tomatoes shared the news on Twitter on Wednesday, saying the actor told her he wouldn't be a part of the Marvel film's cast during an interview to promote his upcoming flick, Nope.

A sequel to Black Panther was officially announced in 2019, a year after its release. However, following the tragic death of actor Chadwick Boseman in August 2020, the makers had to make several changes to the film. The shooting was reportedly also delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Per The Hollywood Reporter, one of the actors, Letitia Wright, suffered an injury in November 2021 during the shooting, which further pushed the production. Filming resumed in January 2022 and wrapped up 2 months later in March.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stars Lupita Nyong'o, Martin Freeman, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, and Angela Bassett, among many others, in pivotal roles. The film is currently expected to release on November 11, 2022.

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Daniel Kaluuya's recent works

Daniel Kaluuya stars in the lead role in Jordan Peele's upcoming thriller, Nope, which is set to be released in theaters on July 22, 2022. On June 9, 2022, Universal Pictures dropped the final trailer for the film, which offers a peek into Peele's unique vision. Along with the trailer, the official YouTube channel of Universal Pictures also shared a brief description, which reads:

''Oscar® winner Jordan Peele disrupted and redefined modern horror with Get Out and then Us. Now, he reimagines the summer movie with a new pop nightmare: the expansive horror epic, Nope.''

The description further states,

''The film reunites Peele with Oscar® winner Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah), who is joined by Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice) and Oscar® nominee Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja) as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.''

Kaluuya also played the lead role in Peele's sensational debut film Get Out, for which he received an Oscar nomination for his performance. Four years later, Kaluuya won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his staggering performance in Shakta King's Judas and the Black Messiah, wherein he played the role of activist Fred Hampton.

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