Black Panther Deleted Scene Draws Attention To Wakanda’s Married Couple

Wakanda is coming to Blu-ray on May 15th, and to celebrate, Marvel Studios has premiered a never-before-seen deleted scene from Black Panther featuring Okoye (Danai Gurira) and W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), the married couple of Ryan Coogler’s remarkable standalone pic. And let’s just say there’s trouble in paradise.

This scene, aptly titled “Okoye And W’Kabi Discuss the Future of Wakanda,” is one of four deleted scenes to be included in the Black Panther Blu-ray – ditto for “U.N. Meet and Greet,” “T’Challa Remembers His Father,” and “Voices from the Past” – along with all of the usual extras and bonus features one would expect from a Marvel home video release. But more on that later.

Embedded above, you’ll be able to take a closer look at Okoye and W’Kabi’s fraught relationship, which is put to the sword soon after the usurper Killmonger seizes the throne from the wounded T’Challa. It’s a scene that helps showcase the powerful supporting players that make up Black Panther and, frankly, it’s a little disappointing to see a scene of this quality scrapped entirely.

Indeed, the film’s editor, Michael Shawver, recently told The Wrap that this particular exchange between Gurira and Kaluuya’s respective characters was “hands down the most painful to cut,” as it’s a raw, deeply emotional showcase of two “powerhouse actors.”

Hands down the most painful scene to cut was [one] with Danai Gurira [General Okoye] and Daniel Kaluuya [W’Kabi]. Toward the end, after things go bad and Killmonger [Michael B. Jordan] is in control and all that, we’re talking about, what are they going to do? What is Wakanda going to become? Those are two powerhouse actors and it was an incredible scene with so many layers to it.

On a lighter note, here’s a recap of the special features and bonus content to be included in the Black Panther Blu-ray, beginning with a director’s intro from none other than Ryan Coogler himself:

– Director’s Intro
– From Page to Screen: A Roundtable Discussion – Delve into the film’s making
– Crowning of a New King – Explore the world of “Black Panther” in all its color and complexity
– The Warriors Within – Get to know Wakanda’s women and the actors who portray them
– The Hidden Kingdom Revealed – Wakanda’s diverse people
– Wakanda Revealed: Exploring the Technology
– Deleted Scenes
– Gag Reel
– Exclusive Sneak Peek at “Ant-Man and The Wasp”
– Marvel Studios the First Ten Years: Connecting the Universe
– Director’s Commentary

Following its digital debut on May 8th, Marvel’s Black Panther will claw its way onto Blu-ray and DVD on May 15th. So you won’t have to wait until Avengers 4 (or Ryan Coogler’s gestating sequel!) to revisit Wakanda…