For the second part of the Black Panther franchise, Daniel Kaluuya is not expected to return.
In March, Disney wrapped production on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with director Ryan Coogler, and the film is expected to premiere later this month. According to Variety, Jordan Peele’s horror film “Nope” will prevent Kaluuya from reprising his role as Winston in Black Panther 2.
Following the death of titular actor Chadwick Boseman, Marvel chose not to recast his part as T’Challa, instead honoring his legacy. Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, and Martin Freeman have all been confirmed to return.
Nope is slated to release on July 22 and sees Kaluuya alongside Keke Palmer and Steven Yuen as they follow residents into an isolated town after a series of events that involve extraterrestrial life.
Kaluuya’s involvement with Black Panther 2 has not been confirmed until now.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on November 11.
In recent news, Live-action Barney, which was teased in 2019 by Daniel Kaluuya, has received an update.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dan Soder, who stars in NOPE, discussed his new production company 59% and revealed that the Barney project – one of the first announcements and said to have a darker tone – is still in early stages of development while the script is being rewritten. Gerrick Kennedy and writer Dan soder began to speak about how they grew up in a society that was not as loving as the purple dinosaur’s “I love you, you love me / We’re a happy family.”
“My last number of films have been so aligned to the kind of what I stand for as a man,” Kaluuya shared. “But there are a whole lot of things that I do as a man. I love kids’ films. How did everyone get into films? Watching kids’ films. I don’t want to restrict myself to the limitations of what I’m perceived as.”
No release date has been set for the film, but the actor’s involvement was first revealed in 2019. Mattel Films and Valparaiso Pictures are among the teams involved.
“Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood… We’re excited to explore this compelling modern-day hero and see if his message of ‘I love you, you love me’ can stand the test of time,” he said in a statement.
Stay tuned for more info.
