In Black Panther, W’Kabi was introduced as T’Challa’s best friend and the head of security for the Border Tribe. However, he later turned against T’Challa and sided with Killmonger, helping N’Jadaka usurp the King of Wakanda. Although the film concludes with W’Kabi realizing his mistake after reconnecting with Okoye, it is unclear what happened to him after the betrayal. So why is W’Kabi not in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? Director Ryan Coogler told Cinemablend that although he is around, the character was punished for what happened in the first movie.
“Yeah, he’s basically banished, but still in Wakanda’s borders,” Coogler said. He then pointed out that Wakanda Forever does address W’Kabi’s absence and explains his situation. “Yeah, does that make sense? So, there’s one line that refers to him still being alive,” Coogler said. Danai Gurira, who plays W’Kabi’s partner Okoye, was also asked about Daniel Kaluuya’s absence but she was coyer with her explanation. “I can’t go into too many details. You would have to ask my director about that whole thing. But we definitely did [discuss it]. There was stuff that we didn’t end up doing but we definitely did,” Gurira said. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is directed by Ryan Coogler and will bring back Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett. They will be joined by Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, and Tenoch Huerta. The film is set to hit theaters on November 11, 2022.
