Although Daniel Kaluuya won’t be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” he seems plenty excited to experience the franchise as a fan this time around.
The actor offered his reaction to the first trailer for “Wakanda Forever” during the Los Angeles premiere of “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.” Kaluuya serves as a producer on the comedy, which stars Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown.
“Of course, I’ve seen it!” Kaluuya told Variety’s Marc Malkin when asked about the trailer. “It’s amazing.”
Kaluuya then touched on his perspective regarding the series going on without his involvement. In the first “Black Panther,” Kaluuya played W’Kabi, a confidante to the late Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa and the romantic partner to Danai Gurira’s Okoye. Kaluuya had previously stated that he could not return for “Wakanda Forever” due to scheduling conflicts with production on Jordan Peele’s sci-fi thriller “Nope.”
“It’s what’s best for the story, what’s best for the film,” Kaluuya stated. “I’m excited for it. I’m excited to watch it.”
As for his potential future with Marvel Studios, Kaluuya stayed coy about the possibilities.
“You know I can’t tell you!” Kaluuya chuckled. “You’re supposed to start with that !”
Kaluuya also discussed his role in producing “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul,” which follows the married leaders of a megachurch who must restart from scratch after they get entangled in a public scandal. The feature is based on the 2018 short film of the same name.
“I watched the short and thought, ‘This is really special and amazing. They have a film right there,’” Kaluuya said, before explaining what he finds different about working as a producer. “I love seeing something grow. You tell a story in a more detached way. It gives you a different point of view and you can help it and feel it and see it.”
“Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul” will be released in theaters and on Peacock on Sept. 2. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will hit theaters on Nov. 11.
