One of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's funniest lines was improvised by Winston Duke

Winston Duke in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actor Winston Duke has revealed that one of his character's funniest lines in the Marvel movie was improvised. 

Duke, who plays M'Baku, the leader of the Jabari, Wakanda's formerly isolated mountain tribe, revealed all on Twitter, writing: "The intention for Mbaku in this film is to serve as the vent for a pressure cooker & that's what influenced this improvisational gem, amongst others... 'you baldheaded demon!'"

The one-liner occurs during the first meeting of the Tribal Council when M'Baku clashes with Okoye, the Dora Milaje general played by Danai Gurira. The two hotheaded military leaders have a humorous rivalry that stretches back to the first Black Panther movie. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever sees the nation mourning the death of their king and former Black Panther, T'Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in 2020. Letitia Wright returns as T'Challa's younger sister Shuri, while Angela Bassett is back as their mother Ramonda. 

Alongside Duke and Gurira, the sequel's cast also includes Lupita Nyong'o as Wakandan spy Nakia, Dominique Thorne as genius student inventor Riri Williams, and Tenoch Huerta as the movie's antagonist, Namor, the leader of an underwater people who, like the Wakandans, have access to the powerful resource of vibranium. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in theaters now. For much more on the latest Marvel movie, check out our spoiler-filled deep dives on: 

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

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