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Where the heck are the Avengers?
Why Kevin Feige and Ryan Coogler Avoided the Avengers
The actual reasons for the Avengers’ absence are probably pretty mundane. As impressive and groundbreaking as the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be, it is still a product of the movie business. Any cameo requires lawyers, contracts, and schedules, all of which cost a lot of money. Disney wanted to pay that money for a saga-ender like Endgame, but not for regular movies. MCU boss Kevin Feige tends to use his actors’ contracts judiciously, saving them for the right moment.
More to the point, the filmmakers probably did not want to distract from the moment. Audiences may be watching a funeral for the fictional King T’Challa of Wakanda, but we’re actually feeling a celebration of Chadwick Boseman, an immensely talented actor taken too soon. Producer Nate Moore has talked about the reservations of including too many Marvel cameos in the film for that very reason. The moment needed to be somber, joyful, and respectful, not an opportunity for fans to geek out.
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Why the Avengers Couldn’t Come to T’Challa’s Funeral
The movie doesn’t explain why the Avengers didn’t show up for T’Challa’s funeral, but it isn’t hard to see why they weren’t there. The biggest reason is that there really are no Avengers right now, at least not officially.
More importantly, those who spent the most time with T’Challa are currently off the map. Natasha Romanoff first bonded on-screen with T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War, but she’s dead, as are fellow pro-registration heroes Iron Man and Vision. Out of that group, only War Machine and Spider-Man remain. As a representative of the same U.S. government who is trying to invade Wakanda for its Vibranium supplies, War Machine wouldn’t be welcome at the funeral and, after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, poor Peter couldn’t afford a plane ticket to Wakanda, even if people remembered who he was.
T’Challa did patch some things up with his fellow heroes and even lent Wakanda’s vast resources to hold off Thanos’s hordes while Shuri tried to remove the Mind Stone from Vision in Avengers: Infinity War. But again, nearly all of the heroes who fought alongside Wakanda are out of action. Steve Rogers likely still lives, but he’s very retired. The Guardians are in deep space, as is Thor, who only showed up for the end of the battle. The exact timeline for Wakanda Forever is a bit unclear, but it’s possible that T’Challa’s funeral occurred while Bruce Banner headed back to Sakaar. Wanda Maximoff spent most of her time with Shuri in the lab, but she would probably be invited — if she wasn’t kidnapping a town, going on a rampage, or dead. While Sam Wilson will be a very different Cap than his government intends, Captain America still represents the U.S. and, like Rhodey, wouldn’t be welcome at the funeral.
