Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to hit the theatres on November 11, 2022. Before the release of the hotly anticipated sequel to the 2018 film starring Chadwick Boseman in the titular role, its director, Ryan Coogler, explained the reason for Daniel Kaluuya’s absence from the film in an interview with CinemaBlend.

Earlier, Kaluuya had himself said that he could not be a part of Wakanda Forever due to scheduling conflicts with Nope, the Jordan Peele directorial. Regarding Kaluuya’s character W’Kabi’s absence from the storyline, Coogler said, “That’s a great question. He’s basically banished, but still within Wakanda’s borders, if that makes sense. It’s one line that refers to him still being alive”.

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Kaluuya, regarding his absence from the film, said to Hollywood Reporter, “If I said anything, people would be really disappointed,” further adding, “That’s how I feel about it. I think people will be disappointed. They don’t want to be spoiled. They’re surprised in whatever will happen. That’s what was amazing about the first one.”

The storyline of the sequel had to be altered completely after the death of Boseman in August 2020. On the official Wakanda Forever podcast, Coogler recently opened up about his last conservation with the actor. He said that he had called Boseman “to ask if he wanted to read [the script] before I got notes from the studio”, adding, “That was the last time we spoke. He passed maybe a couple of weeks after I finished”.

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Coogler further said, “I could tell he was laying down when we were talking. He kicked [Taylor] Simone out because he told her he didn’t want her to hear anything that could get him in trouble with his NDA.”

He said that Boseman did not want to read the script, and it was only later that Coogler realised the actor was not in a condition to read anything.