According to former World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, the WWE star was supposed to be in Marvel's Black Panther 2 (aka Wakanda Forever). However, it never happened.

During an interview with Chris Val Vliet, Priest reflected on the experience. He alleges that he had the part but lost it. He did clarify that it was not Marvel's doing that resulted in him not being in the blockbuster.

“It got taken away from me, but not from Marvel,” revealed Priest.

It is insinuated that it was the previous regime that resulted in Priest not getting the part. Vince McMahon was probably in charge around the time Black Panther 2 was in pre-production.

While it did not work out, Priest still seems open to doing a Marvel gig. At the very least, he is not upset over it. He ended up becoming World Heavyweight Champion and acknowledges that it may not have happened if he starred in the Marvel movie.

“I'm good with it. Maybe I do something like that, I go a different route, and I'm not sitting here being a world champion. I won a world champion at WrestleMania [XL],” Priest said. “I don't know if that happens. So, I live a certain way now that I can't look in regret, I can't think about stuff that didn't work out my way, I gotta think about what's next and what else I can do positively for myself.

“It didn't work out. Not the end of the world. The movie was great, though,” he added.

Damian Priest's rise to the top of WWE

Damian Priest after winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XL.
joe camporeale-usa today sports.

Recently, Priest has become one of the WWE's biggest stars. While he has only been on the main roster for a few years, his time in the Judgement Day stable made him a star. He joined the stable at its inception with Edge as the leader.

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After kicking Edge out of the group, Priest became the unofficial leader. He won the Money in the Bank contract in 2023, holding the briefcase until April 2024 at WrestleMania XL.

He cashed in his contract after Drew McIntyre won the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth “Freakin” Rollins. Priest held the championship for over 100 days, successfully defending it against McIntyre and Rollins.

At SummerSlam, Priest faced off against King of the Ring winner Gunther. Finn Bálor of Judgement Day cost Priest the match, meaning he lost his first world championship to the Ring General. He got his revenge at Bash in Berlin, teaming with fellow former Judgement Day member Rhea Ripley to defeat the stable's Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio.

Was Black Panther 2 a hit?

Even without WWE star Damian Priest, Black Panther 2 was a big hit. Wakanda Forever made nearly $860 million worldwide at the box office.

Ryan Coogler co-wrote and directed the sequel. It had to deal with the aftermath of the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. The sequel became more ensemble-focused, with Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, and Winston Duke all stepping up to the plate.

Wakanda Forever received five Oscar nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Angela Bassett. The only category it won was Best Costume Design.