We got to make a fabulous return to the world of Wakanda last week with the premiere of Avengers: Infinity War. Fans are still eager for more of the afrofuturist utopia — desperately wanting to know when director Ryan Coogler will deliver the confirmed Black Panther sequel we want, no need. We’ll have to wait a while. As Marvel has said the sequel most certainly won’t come before the 2019 release of the next Avengers film. To hold us over, Coogler has released two never-before-seen scenes from Black Panther tragically left on the cutting room floor.
The new clips give us a better understanding of the film’s characters. The first sees husband and wife W’Kabi (played by Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya) and Okoye butt heads over revealing the existence of Wakanda to the world. Coogler prefaces the scene with repeatedly saying he loved it, but it just didn’t “work” in the film. But it serves a crucial purpose in the plot: W’Kabi delivers some much-needed context to why he suddenly turned his back against T’Challa and sided with the hero’s vengeful, long-lost cousin. He wants justice for the death of his parents, something T’Challa has failed to deliver due to his strong morals.
The second clip is an extended cut of T’Challa undergoing the sacred ceremony to gain the magical powers of the Black Panther. He awakes from his trip to the otherworld, where he held a conversation with his slain father about his new responsibilities, and reflects on the cerebral moment with Zuri (played by Forest Whitaker).
The new scenes are included on the home release of the film, digital downloads beginning May 8 and the DVD available in stores May 15.
Revisit Wakanda below: