It is common for most big Hollywood productions to have scenes and even entire storylines cut from the final product. Be it due to time or pacing reasons or even story changes midway through. It usually happens since making a film is an ever-changing process. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is no stranger to this practice. 



One such cut storyline was in the recent Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In a recent interview with the film’s editor Michael P. Shawver there were plans for a possible romantic angle between the film’s protagonist Shuri (Played by: Laitita Write) and the film’s antagonist Namor (Played by: Tenoch Huerta).

He explained:

“I think what’s really interesting is there were takes where there were some connection there… and at one point in an early cut we discussed like, ‘Hey, do we leave it there? Do we just put it out there? Let’s just add some complexity to the relationship.“



He also went on to say how that angle would play into Shuri’s character; Specifically between her “flirting” and her “being a leader”:

“But then you’ve got to watch out for portraying, for example, Shuri flirting to get what she wants as opposed to being a diplomatic leader and becoming the leader that she needs to be, that she’ll get to at the end.“



But ultimately the angle was cut in favor of them connecting over a shared trauma as opposed to any romantic attraction:

“So, what we ultimately focused on was Namor’s line where he says, ‘only the most damaged people can be truly great leaders’, and that’s planting the seed of the shared trauma that she realizes at the end of the film. But that’s essentially who they are, they’re trying to lead and be a leader of their nations with all this pain, carrying around this heavy heart.“

Even the Namor Actor himself, Tenoch Huerta, also shot down any idea of the two having a relationship: 

“I don’t feel like it was a romantic touch between them. I think it was more a human, intimate touch. I mean in the history of their kingdoms, the history of their people, they share the same root, and the threat comes from the same place for both of them, for the same reason. They both face threats from Western countries like the United States and France in the story, because of vibranium, natural resources. I think they connect in that aspect.“

In the end perhaps it was for the best that this storyline was cut. The idea of these two having romantic feelings for each other while at war with one another feels a bit too Shakespeare. Especially when in the past Shuri showed “interest” in Everett K. Ross (Played by: Martin Freeman).

What do you think? Was this “good girl falling in love with the bad boy” being discarded a good thing? Let us know your thoughts.

Source: comicbook.com