Black Panther 2: Nope actor Daniel Kaluuya announces he was forced to turn down Marvel sequel

Daniel Kaluuya will not be reprising his role as W’Kabi in the forthcoming film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The British actor starred as the head of security for the Border Tribe and the best friend of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa in the blockbuster 2018 Black Panther.

Rotten Tomatoes journalist Jacqueline Coley first broke the news on Twitter today (13 July), writing: “Fresh from my Nope interview with Daniel Kaluuya he did not reprise his role in #BlackPanther2 due to his schedule conflicts w/ #NOPE!

“It’s official he’s not in #BlackPantherWakandaForever.”

Variety has confirmed the news.

Kaluuya stars in Jordan Peele’s newest horror film Nope, which releases in cinemas on 22 July.

Meanwhile, the Marvel sequel wrapped production in March and is scheduled to come out on 11 November.

Despite fans’ original wishes to recast Boseman’s lead role, Marvel Studios’ president Kevin Feige confirmed that T’Challa won’t be recast, nor will his character be digitally re-created.

Back in May, Letitia Wright said the movie would “honour” the late Boseman, who died in August 2020 from colon cancer.

Wright had come under fire for sharing an anti-vax video on Twitter in 2021. However, she has since denied the claim that she expressed anti-vax views on the set of Black Panther 2.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will release in cinemas on 11 November.