Black Panther 2’s Angela Bassett Filmed A Scene With T’Challa’s Son

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star, Angela Bassett, reveals she filmed a scene with T’Challa’s son, Toussaint, that was cut from the final film.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star, Angela Bassett, recently revealed that she filmed a scene with T’Challa’s son. Bassett stars as Queen Ramonda, the ruler of the Kingdom of Wakanda following the untimely death of her son, King T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). The Black Panther sequel also sees the return of Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, the Wakandan spy and love interest to T’Challa, after being absent from both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Instead of serving Wakanda on a secret mission, as she had in Black Panther, she resides in Haiti as a teacher at an orphanage, where she secretly cares for the son she had with T’Challa.

In a recent interview with Variety, Bassett revealed that she shot a scene with T’Challa’s hidden son that was eventually cut from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Revealed in a mid-credits scene, Nakia introduced Shuri (Letitia Wright) to Toussaint (Divine Love Konadu-Sun), T’Challa’s son, whose Wakandan name is that of his father. Bassett explained that her cut scene with Toussaint would have introduced the new character earlier in the film. “I went to Haiti, of course. I met him, I was introduced to him… but it wound up on the cutting room floor,” says Bassett. The actor revealed that the young boy would have called Ramonda “Nanna” in the scene. Bassett also detailed that the scene was cut to save Toussaint’s reveal for the end of the movie, so it would be both “a surprise for the audience and to Shuri.” Bassett added, “It was the right way to go. Perfect to go about it.“

Related: Who Plays Toussaint In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

How Ramonda’s Moment With T’Challa Would’ve Changed Wakanda Forever

The earlier scene with Ramonda and Toussaint meeting would have significantly changed the viewing experience of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for the audience. After the US government finds a significant amount of vibranium underwater, Namor (Tenoch Huerta) threatens to wage war on the world in an effort to protect his undersea home, Talokan. Namor attacks Wakanda first, bringing his army to their shores, and killing the queen.

Having Ramonda die after the touching scene with Toussaint would have made the Queen’s death more tragic. Although the young prince still has his mother, the audience would quickly come to understand that the boy would grow up without his grandmother. And with Nakia’s life in danger as well, it would have been unclear if Shuri would have ever learned of Toussaint’s existence. Ramonda’s heart-wrenching death would have held a greater emotional resonance with the knowledge of Toussaint.

However, saving T’Challa’s son’s reveal for the very end of the film gives the audience a nice surprise, as well as something to think about after they leave the theater. Reflecting on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s narrative, Ramonda’s earlier scene in Haiti, where the queen enlists the aid of Nakia to retrieve her daughter and Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) from Talokan, carries more weight as that would have been the last time she would ever see her grandson. With T’Challa gone, his legacy is alive and well in his son, sister, and the Kingdom of Wakanda.

Next: Shuri Avoids An Avengers Problem Iron Man Always IgnoredSource: Variety