**Spoilers ahead for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” You’ve been warned.**
In a long, epic film about grief and loss, one of the most emotional moments in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” comes at the very end. In the mid-credits scene, it is revealed that T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) actually had a kid off-screen, and he’s been living with Nakia in Haiti, away from Wakanda and his place in the kingdom. In the scene, we see Shuri (Letitia Wright) meet the young Toussaint for the first time and understand that her brother’s legacy will literally live on. But according to Angela Bassett, the original plan was for the child to be introduced earlier in the film.
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Speaking to Variety, Angela Bassett talked about “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and the reveal that T’Challa has a young son living in Haiti. In the mid-credits scene, it’s revealed that Bassett’s Queen Ramonda had already met Toussaint and knew where he was hiding. That reveal is hinted at early in the film, when she mentions having something important to tell Shuri. And apparently, there is a cut scene showing Ramonda speaking to Toussaint that didn’t make it in the final film.
“I filmed a scene,” Bassett said. “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…I went to Haiti, of course. I met him, I was introduced to him… but it wound up on the cutting room floor.”
As for why her scene was cut, Bassett said the filmmakers wanted “to make it a surprise for the audience and to Shuri. It was the right way to go. Perfect to go about it.”
Even though meeting Toussaint would have been emotional for audiences no matter when it happened, the catharsis felt when meeting him for the first time at the end of the film is definitely the way to go. Not only does it put the bow on a chapter of “Black Panther” but it sets up so much more for the future and gives hope that Wakanda has plenty of warriors ready to defend it.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is in theaters now.
