Black Panther: Wakanda Forever faced several challenges on its way. The film was to feature Chadwick Boseman, who passed away after battling colon cancer for years. As a tribute to the late actor, the studio and the filmmakers decided not to recast his character and make the necessary changes in the script to continue his legacy. The 2022 film also follows the nation of Wakanda struggling with the loss of its King and protector, Black Panther.
A question among fans before the film’s release was who would be the next Black Panther? While the film answers this question, fans have had many other speculations about whether Shuri, Okoye, or Nakia will take the mantle of Black Panther. And the new deleted scene from the film also raises the same question.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Deleted Scene Teases Okoye as Black Panther
A new deleted scene released by IGN features Danai Gurira‘s Okoye in a conversation with the leader of the Border Tribe, M’Kathu. The released clip, titled Daughter of the Border, suggests that the former leader of the Dora Milaje could have challenged for the throne of Wakanda.
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Okoye was stripped of her title as the leader of Dora Milaje, after she failed to protect Shuri on their trip to Boston. The scene probably occurs after Namor’s attack on Wakanda, in which the nation lost its queen, Ramonda.
As Okoye talks to the leader of the Border Tribe, he suggests Okoye should represent Border Tribe during the combat ritual as she has the potential to be the next queen of Wakanda. But, she seems hesitant as she does not want any sort of dispute with Shuri.
However, M’Kathu does not want to leave the fate of the “great nation” in the hands of a “grieving woman.” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ends with Shuri being the new Black Panther, M’Baku taking over the throne of Wakanda, and Okoye joining Aneka as a Midnight Angel.
Seeing M’Baku as King and Shuri as the new Black Panther, also led to a discussion among fans if only the King of Wakanda could take the mantle of Black Panther.
As Black Panther: Wakanda Forever makes its way to Disney+, the sequel is expected to feature more deleted scenes for its premiere on the streaming platform. And the recently released scene featuring Danai Gurira’s Okoye could be one of those deleted scenes.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Director’s Cut
Following the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the producer of the film, Nate Moore revealed details about the Wakanda Forever director’s cut. He cited the long run time as the reason for excluding some specific scenes from the final cut, which would have also included the recently released scene.
During his interview with Collider, Moore described,
“A lot of characters have scenes that are great scenes that the movie just couldn’t bear. It’s already a relatively long movie, and we wanted to make sure the movie felt as focused as it could, while doing as much as it’s doing.”
Although Marvel Studios is known to keep the theatrical release as the final version of the film, fans are still expecting to see some additional scenes in the film on Disney+. However, the producer also teased that the deleted scenes could be released somehow for fans.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be available to stream on Disney+ from February 1, 2023.
Source: IGN
