Angela Bassett Reveals Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Cut an Emotional Scene 'to Make a Surprise'

Tommy McArdle
·3 min read
Angela Bassett as Ramonda in Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER.
Angela Bassett as Ramonda in Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER.

Annette Brown

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is now playing in theaters.

Angela Bassett says an important Black Panther: Wakanda Forever scene featuring her character Queen Ramonda was cut "to make a surprise for the audience."

In an interview with Variety published Monday, Bassett, 64, said that she filmed a scene for the movie with child actor Divine Love Konadu-Sun, who is introduced to Shuri (Letitia Wright) in the film's mid-credits scene by Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) as her and T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) previously unrevealed son, Toussaint.

"I filmed a scene. I did, but you know — cutting room, readjusting and reshaping it," Bassett told the outlet, recalling her character's words before Namor (Tenoch Huerta) begins an attack on Wakanda. "What does Ramonda say? Oh, 'Shuri, there's something that I need to tell you.'"

"I went to Haiti, of course," Bassett said of the deleted scene, in which her character physically meets Toussaint, who Nakia explains at the end of the movie was intentionally raised away from Wakanda. "I met him, I was introduced to him… but it wound up on the cutting room floor."

RELATED: Angela Bassett Warned Wakanda Forever Director That Her Character's Twist Could 'Upset' Fans

Bassett went on to clarify that the scene was cut "to make it a surprise for the audience and to Shuri" when Wright's character meets Toussaint during the movie's mid-credit scene.

Angela Bassett at the world premiere of Marvel Studios Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Angela Bassett at the world premiere of Marvel Studios Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

"It was the right way to go," she told the outlet about the decision. "Perfect to go about it."

Elsewhere in the interview, Bassett expressed once more that she was "just mortified" when she learned of Ramonda's death in the Black Panther sequel.

"I was not happy about that," she told Variety. "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."

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"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,' " she said.

"The love for Ramonda was so real and heartfelt, but you know — they always kill the heart and soul," Bassett added of the character's death.

US-ENTERTAINMENT-TELEVISION-EMMYS-ARRIVALS
US-ENTERTAINMENT-TELEVISION-EMMYS-ARRIVALS

Chris Delmas / AFP/ Getty

RELATED: Angela Bassett Reacts to Keke Palmer's Hilarious Impression of Her: 'You Do a Great Job'

Bassett made similar comments in November when she told IndieWire that when she learned of Ramonda's death, she talked with director Ryan Coogler about why it might be a regrettable twist.

"I objected. I was like, 'Ryan, what are you doing? Why? You will rue the day! You will rue the demise of [Ramonda]. People are gonna be so upset,' " she said. "He was like, 'Angela, I know, I know, but look, to die is not really to die in this world. It doesn't really have to mean that.' "

About possibly returning in future Marvel movies, she added, "All kinds of crazy things happen."

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