Contrary to the expectation of fans, new reports now reveal that the upcoming Marvel movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will not see the return of Daniel Kaluuya who played the role of W’Kabi in the first movie. The latest report comes from Kaluuya's recent interview with Rotten Tomatoes Awards editor, Jacqueline Coley ahead of the release of his next movie, Nope.

Upon completion of the interview, Jacqueline took to her Twitter page to reveal the breaking news. In her tweet, she said that Kaluuya cited "scheduling conflicts with Nope" as the reason why he was unable to reprise his role as the head of security for Wakanda’s Border Tribe. W'Kabi's key role in the Wakanda army also made him the confidant of the titular superhero, played by the late Chadwick Boseman. While Kaluuya will not reprise that role, it remains to be seen if Marvel tapped another actor to replace him or if the character was completely axed from the story.

Since it was reported that development had begun for Blank Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel has played key details close to the vest. As such, fans had erroneously thought that Kaluuya would return to reprise his role. It has however been confirmed that the original cast that includes Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira (who played W’Kabi's wife Okoye), Martin Freeman, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett will all return to reprise their roles in the upcoming installment. Following the passing of Boseman, Marvel made a key revelation that it would not be re-casting his titular role but that it would instead honor Boseman's legacy and focus the sequel's story on other members of the Wakanda kingdom.

Daniel Kaluuya in a poster for Nope looking up.
Image via Universal

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Given that Kaluuya credits Nope's writer and director and Jordan Peele as the one who helped save his career, it's no wonder why he chose to jump on board with him on the project despite its filming schedule clashing with Wakanda Forever. The duo first collaborated on Peele's directorial debut Get Out (2015) which became a big hit among critics propelling both their careers to new heights. Both earned coveted Academy Award nominations and Kaluuya would go on to parlay that success into even greater achievements. While he did not win that Oscar nod, his performance as the late American activist, Fred Hampton in the biographical crime drama, Judas and the Black Messiah won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Kaluuya plays OJ Haywood in Nope which will hit theaters on July 22.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is scheduled for release later in the year on November 11. Check out Coley's tweet and the final trailer for Nope down below.