So far, Marvel has only released three of these deleted scenes online. Each one of them is a poignant, character-focused moment, deepening the cinematic world Coogler built so very well. In each case, it’s individually a shame that they were cut; they fitted thematically, they added fresh context to the relationships, and they explored different parts of Wakanda. But there were valid reasons for cutting each one of them, and - as painful as it may be to admit it - the movie as a whole is probably stronger without them. Let’s take a look at each of the deleted scenes, and examine what it would have added to Black Panther.
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The Impact Of N’Jobu’s Death on T’Chaka and T’Challa
The first deleted scene is an extension of the flashback sequence from the beginning of the film, a beautiful father-son moment. It’s set immediately after the death of Prince N’Jobu, jumping to Wakanda to see a young T’Challa and Nakia exploring the forbidden Catacombs of Necropolis. They come across King T’Chaka musing over his brother’s death, who spots the young duo and brings his son aside. What follows is a touching scene in which T’Challa expresses his unshakable faith in his father, before declaring that his father will reign forever. After all, when T’Challa becomes Black Panther, he will be able to prevent death ever claiming T’Chaka.
It’s a poignant scene and perhaps the most surprising cut from the film. Thematically, it expresses the core of the movie; the father-son dynamic that was explored through both T’Challa and T’Chaka, and Killmonger and N’Jobu. Meanwhile, the dialogue actually helps remind viewers of a detail that some found confusing; that there is a difference between the Black Panther and the King, that while they can be the same person, they don’t have to be. It also, more minorly, reveals how Nakia knew about the catacombs later in the film (not that that’s essential).
So why did this scene get cut? As fascinating as it may be, it doesn’t quite fit with the opening montage. The flashback sequence is actually told through the eyes of the young Killmonger - indeed, the voice-over telling the tales of Wakanda (which hits those Panther/King distinction marks) is actually the voice of his father, N’Jobu. That opening montage becomes all the more powerful on the second viewing when you realize it’s all from Killmonger’s perspective. Adding another scene to this, one viewed through the eyes of T’Challa, would reduce the impact of the opening sequence.
Okoye and W’Kabi’s Marriage
According to Black Panther editor Michael Shawver, this was “hands down the most painful scene to cut.” It features Danai Gurira’s Okoye and Daniel Kaluuya’s W’Kabi in an intense conversation, set just after Killmonger has taken the throne. The scene properly highlights the relationship between the two, actually confirming that they are married. It also offers a hint as to what their relationship is like, with the revelation that W’Kabi has been trying to persuade Okoye to leave the Dora Milaje in order to start a family. Where it’s most crucial, though, is in painting W’Kabi’s motivations in siding with Killmonger, with his own sense of betrayal at T’Challa for his handling of Klaue pointed.
It’s a real shame this scene was cut, as it offers a valuable insight into two key sides of Wakanda’s cultural debate, exploring the character’s natures in a very fresh, very different way. Meanwhile, the revelation that these two were considering starting a family is one that grounds Black Panther in a way few superhero movies are. Superheroes are, by nature, locked in a perpetual status quo - comic book publishers and movie studios are always shy about deviating from the success formula too much - but here, right from the outset of the Black Panther franchise, two characters are wrestling with a decision that would utterly transform their personal worlds.
It’s character background, but with forward-thinking goals. The argument over Killmonger paves the way for Okoye’s fateful choice to reject W’Kabi, and sets up the impending conflict between the Dora Milaje and the Border Tribe. It adds a haunting note of tragedy to the final battle, while foreshadowing the scene where Okoye stops W’Kabi’s War Rhino.
Of all the deleted scenes, this is the one that perhaps shouldn’t have been cut. It adds much-needed depth to the character, and it makes the final resolution of the brief Wakandan Civil War that much more effective. However, Marvel felt the scene simply didn’t help with the film’s pacing. With Wakanda in turmoil, it was necessary to keep up a steady pace in this section. Emotional scenes like this risked damaging the flow of the film, distracting attention from the focus on T’Challa’s fleeing family. Marvel ultimately made the difficult decision to cut the scene.
T’Challa and Ross Before the United Nations Speech
The final Black Panther deleted scene is set right before King T’Challa’s speech at the United Nations, and sees Ross attempt to talk T’Challa out of the announcement. It even reveals that Ross is attempting to learn Wakandan, although he hasn’t quite got it right yet. This scene doesn’t add as much to the narrative as some of the others, and is mostly played for laughs.
In fact, it’s rather weird in the context of the released movie. T’Challa’s speech at the United Nations was originally the end of the film, and this would presumably have happened right before it; ultimately, director Ryan Coogler decided to move the UN speech to the mid-credits, instead ending Black Panther in a scene set in the baseball courts. He felt there was a powerful symmetry to this, with the movie ending exactly where it began, and he certainly had a point. When that’s done, this scene must go.
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