Niek Schlosser posted images of W’Kabi’s redesigned costume made for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” on Instagram. The artist acknowledges that the new outfit didn’t make it into the movie, but also adds that “Nope” was a great film — which is true! These images show a sleek look that certainly makes it seem like the character would be once again reporting for duty in some capacity, though who knows what side of the conflict he’d be on.
It’s unclear what his role would’ve been, but it’s difficult to imagine his former allies being able to trust him again. Still, the sequel saw them in some pretty dire straights, so they may have just been desperate enough to do so.
A third “Black Panther” film has yet to be officially announced, but now that someone new has taken up the hero’s mantle, it wouldn’t be too surprising. The sequel was a huge success and Marvel does love to do things in threes. Perhaps Kaluuya could reprise the role of W’Kabi in that film or even pop up in the upcoming Disney+ series that will focus on Okoye. Of course, it’s also possible that the actor’s dance card is full and he won’t return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe at all. Ultimately, an appearance from Kaluuya could only make a project better, so fingers crossed that W’Kabi will one day return.