Black Panther editor details two of the movie’s deleted scenes

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

**POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW**

Big comic book movies are often filled with characters who all have varying dynamics with each other. As much as we may like to see more scenes with these characters together that can’t always benefit the movie. PANTHER is certainly no exception to the rule, and the movie’s editor recently revealed two scenes featuring members of the impressive cast that made it to the cutting room floor. Sadly, none of them feature a surprise appearance by bearded Captain America (Chris Evans) coming by to leave flowers for Bucky (Sebastian Stan).

Editor Michael Shawver (FRUITVALE STATION, CREED) spoke with The Wrap recently about two of his favorite scenes that were very hard for him to cut. One of them involved Danai Gurira’s Okoye, the leader of the Dora Milaje, and Daniel Kaluuya’s W’Kabi, the head of security for the Border Tribe. The two are also lovers in the movie, and they had a serious chat at one point.

Hands down the most painful scene to cut was [one] with Danai Gurira and Daniel Kaluuya. 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 — boyfriend and girlfriend, it was general and her advisor, all those things. That was painful.

But it had to be done in favor of the movie’s pace and for the sake of keeping the ball rolling through the third act. "At that point in the movie, it’s about two thirds through, and that’s when most movies drag,” Shawver said. “Ours was taking a while to get to that point.”

The other scene involved Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa and Forest Whitaker’s Zuri that helps establish their relationship and bond with each other.

There’s a scene between Chadwick and Forest’s characters which sets up their relationship. It sort of lets you attach yourself to their father-son dynamic so that later on in the film … you really feel more.

Those who may have liked to see these scenes should fret not, for Shawver confirmed these scenes will make it onto the deleted scenes feature on the movie's home release. This, of course, is good news, because these do sound like interesting scenes that can add some detail to the dynamics between the characters the first one, in particular, interests me because although Okoye and W'Kabi were lovers we never really see them in any scenes alone together. I can also imagine the scene with T'Challa and Zuri is nice, and I imagine it's them having a simple, nice game of catch. 

BLACK PANTHER is in theaters now.