After giving a potential update on Charlie Cox’s and Vincent D’onofrio’s return in the upcoming Disney+ original Echo, the costume designer may have once again accidentally revealed another update on one more Marvel Studios project. Stacey Caballero maintains an extensive resume of her work as a costume designer for films. She has previously worked on Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including Thor: Ragnarok as an assistant costume designer, and will return in the same capacity for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Updating this gig on her resume, Caballero revealed that she’ll be specifically designing costumes for actors Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, and Daniel Kaluuya, thus, seemingly confirming the lattermost’s involvement in the project. The Academy Award-winning actor had previously portrayed W’Kabi, T’Challa’s best friend, in Black Panther. W’Kabi is a leader in the Border Tribe and husband to General Okoye, played by Danai Gurira.
Though the casting of Kaluuya as W’Kabi hasn’t been confirmed by the studio, the costume designer’s resume, which is so extensive, and features such significant big-budget projects, cannot possibly lie. Therefore, it’s safe to at least seemingly confirm the casting.
There’s no telling how W’Kabi’s Ryan Coogler will fit W’Kabi’s return to the story, but it would be interesting to see such a major character return to Wakanda with other new cast members after being absent in previous films which featured the Vibranium-rich nation.
Whereabouts of W’Kabi are Unknown
In the first film, W’Kabi sides with N’Jadaka/Erik Killmonger after T’Challa’s failure to capture Klaue, who had murdered W’Kabi’s parents. Disillusioned by his vengeance against Klaue and distrust over T’Challa’s rule, he led a faction of Border Tribe against his king in the battle, only to be later defeated, captured, and probably imprisoned.
Since then, the character is probably in chains, possibly serving a harsh sentence for betraying his king and taking arms against Wakanda. Despite the fact that Wakanda and its tribes played a significant role in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, W’Kabi was not featured. A little reference not specifically directed to the character was teased in Infinity War. In that film, when T’Challa asks Okoye for Border Tribe’s position on the impending battle, she responds - “Whatever’s left of them”, with a grin on her face, seemingly showing her disgust for the tribe (and her husband’s) betrayal.
Now that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is heading in a unique direction, it would be interesting to see W’Kabi return to his duties after repenting for his crimes. The production of the film has been really secretive with almost no details concerning its plot available as of now. The film surely has undergone several changes after Chadwick Boseman’s demise, leading Marvel to revitalize the script and push back release and not recast his role in the sequel, leaving the actor’s legacy intact.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will release on November 11, 2022. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film will star Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Dominique Thorne, and if Caballero’s resume details are to be believed, Daniel Kaluuya as well.