Angela Bassett teases familial cut scene from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Angela Bassett talks a crucial meeting that ended up on the cutting room floor and Ramonda's "mortifying" fate
Aux News Angela Bassett
This article contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Angela Bassett has thus far been regarded as a standout in the box office-dominating Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so much so that her name has even been floated as a possible Oscar contender for the role. The film depicted her character Ramonda in her full power as Queen, mother, and (spoiler alert!) grandmother, although the latter relationship took place entirely off-screen.
At the end of Wakanda Forever, Shuri (Letitia Wright) discovers that her brother T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Naikia (Lupita Nyong’o) had a son who had been hidden away in Haiti. Nakia reassures Shuri that Ramonda had a chance to meet the boy (Divine Love Konadu-Sun) before the Queen’s untimely death. And according to Bassett, that meeting ended up on the cutting room floor.
Bassett tells Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast that she “filmed a scene” with the “precious little angel” Konadu-Sun, in which the boy calls Ramonda “Nanna.” “I did, but you know—cutting room, readjusting and reshaping it. What does Ramonda say? Oh, ‘Shuri, there’s something that I need to tell you,’” she shares. “I went to Haiti, of course. I met him, I was introduced to him… but it wound up on the cutting room floor.”
The reason for removing the scene, she says, is “to make it a surprise for the audience and to Shuri,” something the actor agrees with: “It was the right way to go. Perfect to go about it.”
Something she did not agree with, Bassett reiterates, is Ramonda’s death. “I was not happy about that,” she says. “I was not pleased. I was so shocked. I was… just mortified. You know, it’s like they gave you the greatest gift, and they snatched it away. Part of me was like, ‘Okay, don’t say anything, be strong.’ Then the other part of me was like… ‘I just got to let [director Ryan Coogler] know. That I don’t like this at all—and why?—and don’t do this.’ The love for Ramonda was so real and heartfelt, but you know—they always kill the heart and soul.”
Apparently, Coogler sold Bassett on the plot twist by reminding her that death isn’t necessarily permanent in the Marvel Cinematic multiverse–so perhaps it’s not the last we’ll see of Queen Ramonda. Regardless, the royal family will clearly continue on.
21 Comments
Does Bassett think at one point she’ll get to wear the Black Panther suit…? I’m so confused by her reaction to her character’s death.
I cant blame her. She’s suddenly no longer a part of the biggest franchise in history.
She’s definitely got the guns for it. Woman is sculpted.
So fucked up how Marvel just stole Black Panther imagery from Black civil rights fighters and made money off of it by making the Black Panther as white as possible.
The character pre-dates the formation of the Black Panther Party by several months. The comic book debut was June 1966, the Black Panther Party was founded in October 1966.
No it doesn’t you dumb fucking racist. The Black Panther was widely used as a symbol of Black empowerment before the Black Panther political organization came around. Marvel stole it from Black civil rights activists to make dumb shit for racist white idiots like you.
Erm, no. What I said was factually correct. The character pre-dates The Black Panther Party. The Black Panther was used as a logo by an Alabama civil rights organization before the character.
Ryan Coogler, who is definitely not white, co-wrote and directed both Black Panther movies.Also, it’s neither here nor there, but I’m not white.
What you said is wrong and stupid. You are a racist moron. Shut the fuck up. Idiot.
lol
I see you’ve had the pleasure of dealing with one of our more poisonous trolls. Don’t worry, he’ll soil the ground around him for awhile and then change his username again so that he can start fresh once more.
I dunno if the person you’re responding to is trolling or genuinely stupid, but either way….. you know you can just dismiss comments, right?
For (I think) just one issue of FF, T’challa changed his name to The Black Leopard so as not to “condemn nor condone those who have taken up the name — but T’Challa is a law unto himself.” “Black Leopard” isn’t as catchy as “Black Panther”, obviously, and he went back to the old one quickly.
I think there was room for Marvel comics’ imagery and the Black Panther Party’s imagery. I don’t think either panther was damaged by their coexistence.
Real conflicted about this movie. Visually great, fantastic performances by Bassett (seriously, give her awards), Nyong’o, and Huerta, stunning visuals, deep musings on grief. But too many changes to Namor, making him a villain instead of an anti-hero. Overstuffed plot with Martin Freeman and JLD being entirely extraneous, trying to do too much with bringing in Ironheart, and setting up a war between nations that ended up being a 1 ship battle (why would you take a ship into the ocean and fight them on their home turf?). Wright did ok, but I don’t think she makes for a good BP. Not really accepting her as BP, and then I felt they undercut her as BP with the end credits scene, like they didn’t really buy her as BP either and wanted to set up a replacement ASAP.
IIRC, Shuri was meant to be a temporary fill in for the Black Panther until someone more permanent took up the mantle. Can’t remember where I read that, so take it with a grain of salt.
I mean, the thing is anyone is always going to be a temp replacement with these comics characters, and the MCU is gonna have to somehow handle that (I have no idea how). Dick Grayson as Batman will always be a temp replacement for Bruce Wayne. Rhodey will always be a temp replacement for Tony. Jon Kent for Clark. They’re iconic characters. The best you’re gonna get is either a Wally West situation, which was extremely rare, or a Peter/Miles situation where that are two holders of the name, which they of course can’t do.
The difference between anti-hero and villain is one that is almost entirely one of perspective. Using a flood to kill civilians is something they pulled directly out of the comics, it’s the main thing that kills the Illuminati in the lead up to Secret Wars.
There is a lot of awkwardness retconned and explained away in Namor’s 1960s reappearances that Byrne explained with “oxygen imbalance” that the MCU didn’t need to repeat. His character is also backstopped by a history of fighting in WW2 against Nazis and a band of brothers experience with Cap and the Invaders that this Namor doesn’t have. Also, as messed up as it is, there is a narrative difference from killing randoms and killing a named main character. They’ve dug themselves into a hole they’ll have to dig out of.
Agree 100% with every point and you said it better than I have previously. Also I believe if Wright was a better Shuri she might get a longer run filling the BP suit, but because she’s been a problem for Marvel (and has outright stated she wants out anyway), we’re going to see her be very temporary.
I didn’t know she said she wants out. Makes the final scene make more sense. I loved her in the first BP, she was fun and exciting in the role Shuri played in that movie. She probably would have been fun and exciting in BP2 if Chadwick was still alive to be the Panther.Maybe I’m being unfair, it’s an impossible task for just about any actor to be in scenes with Angela Bassett who is radiated main character energy and gravitas, and to have the audience think your character is actually the focus.
Ramonda’s death was definitely pretty questionable. In a movie that was already dealing with T’Challa (and Boseman’s) death, it felt like overkill to also kill her character, especially when Bassett was doing such a great job.
I noted Ramonda was killed by a man-made storm.