Anna Daniels
Deleted scenes are a big part of the MCU and usually looked forward to when the Blu-Ray editions of their movies come out. Some of those deleted scenes also cause confusion since they frequently seem to help enhance the plot. One from Black Panther has taken notice in the last year as possibly being a missed opportunity.
The scene in question is W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) arguing over whether T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is the best possible Wakanda leader. This scene has a lot of power to it and almost Shakespearean in quality.
Of all Black Panther deleted scenes available on the Blu-Ray, this one continues to spark debate on social media. When looking at it a little closer, it really does look like a scene that should have been retained.
Daniel Kaluuya and Danai Gurira are powerful in this deleted sequence
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MnKxVC7kEA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
Both Kaluuya and Gurira are already known for being actors with fiery personalities. Kaluuya became a star in Get Out with always memorable big-screen performances. The same goes for Gurira who has spent a number of years on The Walking Dead until leaving this season.
Matching them up for Black Panther was clearly a casting coup, though presenting W’Kabi and Okoye as a couple was not seen as much as it should have been. Only in a deleted scene does their relationship become more apparent as husband and wife.
Those who bought the Black Panther Blu-Ray saw this deleted scene, but a user on Reddit recently posted it as a reminder of how visceral it is. When giving it a watch, it becomes a reminder of how great of actors Kaluuya and Gurira really are, if never working together prior.
Why Ryan Coogler decided not to have very many scenes with them together is a bit of a mystery. Both of them give everything they have in this scene with believable intensity.
The ‘Black Panther’ deleted scene could have been added to the movie
Considering this deleted scene is only a few minutes long, above Reddit users are starting to ask why this brilliant sequence was taken out. Adding it would have had no effect on the running time.
Besides, the scene adds more understanding of the relationship between W’Kabi and Okoye. It also helps everyone better understand the relationship W’Kabi has with T’Challa. Also at play here is major emotional conflict through the eyes of Okoye.
Her having to uphold her allegiance to T’Challa while still showing love for W’Kabi is where it starts to become Shakespearean. Gurira really shines here in projecting a tug-of-war between two sides.
In leadership roles like Okoye’s, this often happens. When helping to run a country, especially, trying to find balance in who to side in is why politics is often a double-edged sword.
Understanding why W’Kabi turned on T’Challa
More than anything, fans are saying this scene fleshes out why W’Kabi turns on T’Challa so it is not so abrupt later in the film. Here, the scene demonstrates the emotional reasons behind why W’Kabi wants Killmonger to be the leader instead.
Kaluuya really gets intense, exuding incredible emotion that seemed a waste to just place on the cutting room floor. As a result, it kind of raises more questions about why so many great scenes in the MCU are often taken out if at least presented for the public to see on the Blu-Ray editions.
Ryan Coogler has gone on record saying why he took the scene out. According to Mashable, he said: “I was incredibly proud of it as a director, but it didn’t work inside of the confines of our film.”
While a lot of fans think otherwise, it gives rise to other deleted scenes in the MCU and how they could have made certain movies better. For the sake of art, perhaps respecting the director’s vision is better to prevent artistic and fan discord.
Written by: Cheat
