After some of the supporting cast of Black Panther sat out Avengers: Infinity War, it seems as though Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia was planned to return in Endgame.
A recently released photo of concept art by Andy Park, a concept artist for Marvel Studios, revealed that Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia was supposed to appear during the battle scene.
The concept art posted on Twitter featured many of the female Avengers going into battle for that “A Force” scene, including Captain Marvel, Gamora, Nebula, Shuri, Wasp, Mantis, Okoye, Scarlet Witch, Pepper Potts/Rescue and Valkyrie. In the back, Nakia can be seen holding a pair of weapons.
Lupita Nyong’o likely could not make filming for either Avengers: Infinity War or Endgame due to scheduling conflicts, but her character Nakia is expected to return in the untitled Black Panther sequel. When she returns, expect her to have a good excuse for her absence.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Josh Brolin.
Avengers: Endgame is now available on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray, DVD, and Disney+.
