Avengers: Endgame Cut Major Black Panther Character From the Final Battle

The final battle sequence of Avengers: Endgame was a moment that likely won’t be topped. As Captain America calls Mjolnir to him and assembles the Avengers behind him, countless characters from the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe appear on screen even if it’s just for a few seconds. Among them are the likes of Wakandan warriors, the sorcerers of the world, Howard the Duck, and even The Ravagers from the far reaches of space. Even with the insane amount of characters present, some were still absent from that momentous occasion and it left fans wondering where they were.

A new piece of concept art from the film has made its way online from the pages of Avengers: Endgame – The Art of the Movie, including a character that didn’t make it into the sequence. Oscar Winner Lupita Nyong’o‘s Nakia appears in this new piece of art from the film, fighting alongside the likes of Captain Marvel, The Wasp, Gamora, and Valkyrie. No mention of Nakia was made at all in Avengers: Infinity War or Endgame, but given the character’s occupation as an undercover War Dog and working with the Wakandan International Outreach Centre it’s possible that she wasn’t present in the country for the battle with Thanos and his children.

There were plenty of Black Panther characters actually present for the battle though, with the title hero standing alongside his sister Shuri and his general Okoye as they entered the scene. M’baku also appeared later on along with the various tribes of Wakanda, fresh off the return from The Snap.

It’s almost a certainty that Nyong’o will return as the character in the Black Panther sequel, given how the 2018 feature film concluded. At the end of that film, she and Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa shared a tender moment with the king opening the country’s borders to the world after following her advice. Why Nyong’o didn’t appear in Endgame remains a partial mystery, which perhaps simply boils down to scheduling. As production for Avengers: Endgame was ongoing, the actress was filming the zombie comedy Little Monsters at the same time in Australia. There’s also the possibility her Marvel contract has a limited amount of appearances, which Marvel may not have wanted to burn on an Endgame appearance given how many others were already set to appear.

Avengers: Endgame is streaming now on Disney+. Avengers: Endgame – The Art of the Movie out now and can be purchased by clicking here.

Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall of 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision in Spring 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, Spider-Man 3 on July 16, 2021, What If…? in Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022. Marvel Studios has yet to set release dates for its theatrical releases in Ant-Man 3 and Blade or the Disney+ shows consisting of Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.