Photo: Getty Images
Daniel Kaluuya will not be in the "Black Panther" sequel.
Kaluuya played W’Kabi, the best friend to T’Challa/Black Panther and the husband of Okoye, played by Danai Gurira, who is expected to return for the sequel, "Wakanda Forever".
Kaluuya said that he had to back out due to scheduling conflicts with the Jordan Peele thriller "Nope", which is due out in theaters this month.
The "Black Panther 2" shoot was plagued by setbacks after star Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer in August 2020, with Marvel and the filmmakers having to reconceive the project. The movie was further delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including several stars testing positive for COVID on set. In August 2021, star Letitia Wright suffered an injury while filming a sequence involving a stunt rig on-location in Boston. Production then shut down in late November after the "Wakanda Forever" team filmed as much as they could without Wright, while she continued to heal at her home in London.
As of now, "Wakanda Forever" is still slated for a Nov. 11, 2022 release.
Source: Hollywood Reporter.
Photo Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images.