WWE Star Damian Priest was set to play a role in Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverBut the role was taken away from him. However, according to Priest, it wasn’t Disney or Marvel Studios that turned down the deal, and there could have been another party involved. Priest has become one of the hottest names in wrestling, having won the WWE United States Championship in 2021 and the World Heavyweight Championship. With a star presence, Priest seemed destined to make the jump to acting alongside fellow WWE wrestlers Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, and Dave Bautista.
It seems that Priest was very close to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a role in Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverIn an interview on Insight with Chris Van VlietPriest has revealed that he has been offered a role in the 2022 Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel. While Priest did not reveal what the role was, it appears that the role was likely Attuma, Namor's loyal right-hand man, who was played in the film by Alex Levinale. While some have suggested that the role offered to Priest was Namor's main antagonist, there is more evidence that it was Attuma as the character has a towering presence, with Levinale standing at 6'3″, just shy of Priest's 6'5″. He said: “It's a long story, but… basically… it was taken from me, but not from Marvel.” When asked if he knew who took on the role, Priest replied, “Yes,” But it doesn't make it clear.
Did WWE block Priest from joining the MCU?
It is very likely that Priest's offer was rejected by WWE itself, specifically by former chairman Vince McMahon. McMahon was notoriously controlling of the wrestlers in WWE, often not wanting to share them with others and only wanting them to appear on WWE-sponsored projects. Mercedes Money previously mentioned how WWE tried to prevent her from appearing on The Mandalorian Season 2, which often made it difficult for her to get time off to film the series, which likely played a role in her not appearing in The Mandalorian Season 3. Former wrestler and MCU star Dave Bautista notably clashed with WWE around the time he began pursuing an acting career.
In January 2024, McMahon resigned following allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault. If McMahon was the stumbling block, Priest could now pursue other acting projects in the future. Marvel Studios has a history of returning to actors it has considered for one role to take on another, as Black Panther Star Chadwick Boseman initially auditioned for Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy, Which eventually went to WWE star Dave Bautista. With so many new characters, like the X-Men, set to be cast in the not-too-distant future, there are sure to be plenty of characters that Priest could become as part of the Marvel franchise.
