A third deleted scene from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (you can find the first two here and here) has been released, and we're honestly surprised this was left on the cutting room floor.
Taken from the end of the movie, we get an extended look at Shuri's arrival in Haiti, only this time, she's met there by Okoye. The new Black Panther explains she no longer needs the bodyguard's protection, prompting the former member of the Dora Milaje to reveal that she's taking that Midnight Angel suit and heading off on her own superhero adventures.
She promises to always be there for Shuri, and it feels a lot like this was meant to set the stage for Ryan Coogler's rumoured Disney+ TV series based on the world of Wakanda.
Okoye rescuing Everett Ross from his predicament with the CIA was also a good way of making it clear that the hero is going to do her own thing now, so that might be why this was cut. It is, however, worth noting that we've heard nothing about that show for quite some time now.
Regardless, we're sure Okoye will return to the MCU sooner rather than later, while there have been rumours lately that we'll next see Shuri in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Coogler is rumoured to be taking the helm of the latter, but we don't expect Black Panther 3 to be released until the next Saga kicks off whatever happens on that front.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ranks among Marvel Studios' best movies, and is an emotional, uplifting, tour de force of a blockbuster," we said in our review last year. "Letitia Wright delivers a powerhouse performance, while Angela Bassett’s majestic work will leave you reeling."
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will debut on Disney+ on February 1 ahead of its DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD release on February 7.