This Deleted 'Black Panther' Scene Reveals New Details About W'Kabi and Okoye's Relationship
Danai Gurira and Daniel Kaluuya deliver striking performances in this newly released scene, introduced by Ryan Coogler.
We're still not over Black Panther and we likely won't ever be—when we say "Wakanda forever," we really mean it.
A new clip from USA Today takes us back to the beautiful, technologically advanced nation with a deleted scene that introduces new details into the storyline. Introduced by Ryan Coogler, the clip gives a glimpse into the relationship between Daniel Kaluuya's characterW'Kabi and Danai Gurira's character Okoye—who we also learn are married. Coogler describes the scene as one he "was incredibly proud of as a director but didn't work inside of the confines of our film."
The 2-minute scene, which takes place in the Tribal Council Room, shows a confrontation between the couple as they react to T'Challa being overthrown by Killmonger. In it Okoye questions W'Kabi's loyalty to the King given how unfazed he seemed by his presumed death. W'Kabi then reveals that he still holds a burning resentment about T'Challa's failure to successfully capture Klaue—the man who murdered his mother and father.
The scene highlights Kaluuya and Gurira's killer acting chops as they both deliver strikingly powerful performances. Though we certainly think this scene should've made the the final cut, we're just glad we get to experience it now.
Ryan Coogler recently sat down for a talk entitled "From Page To Screen: A Black Panther Discussion with Writers and Filmmakers" and shared how his trip to the continent influenced Black Panther. Check it out via The Grio, and watch the standout deleted scene above.
Black Panther will be releases on Blu-ray and DVD on May 15. For more on Africa's undeniable influence on the film, revisit our talk with the director which took place ahead of its premiere in February.