Eriq La Salle has a prominent role in Coming to America, so why wasn't he cast for the 2021 sequel, Coming 2 America? Starring Eddie Murphy, the highly-anticipated comedy film was directed by Craig Brewer, and takes place decades after the original 1988 film. And as it turns out, La Salle chose not to be part of Coming 2 America.
In Coming to America, La Salle portrays Darryl Jenks - the stylish boyfriend of New York City native Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley). He's dismissive of Lisa's friend, Akeem Joffer (Murphy), who just so happens to be a real-life African prince and wants to find a wife in the Big Apple. In a late-movie scene, Lisa's father Cleo (John Amos) spontaneously announces that his daughter and Darryl will marry, but later changes his mind upon realizing that Akeem isn't a poor New Yorker but rather a wealthy heir to the throne. Lisa eventually dumps Darryl, and then begins a new life in Africa as Akeem's wife, which sets up the premise for Coming 2 America.
According to a October 2019 report (via The Grio), La Salle chose not to participate in Coming 2 America because of scheduling issues. At NBC's 5th annual Chicago press day, the actor spoke to a crowd of journalists and revealed he wouldn't be part of the sequel because he was busy producing and directing the series Chicago P.D. As an actor, La Salle last appeared in the 2017 film Logan, and previously earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as Peter Benton in ER. In Coming to America, La Salle makes his final appearance on screen when Darryl meets with Lisa's sister, Patrice (Allison Dean), after the break-up, but he also appears in the final credits.
La Salle's absence from Coming 2 America won't disrupt the main storyline, as Darryl makes a proper exit in the original film. Still, there's certainly room for the character in the sequel, as Coming to America implies he had a sexual encounter with Patrice after breaking up with Lisa. In Coming 2 America, Akeem returns to New York upon finding out that he has a son, Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler), so the Big Apple sequences would've been the ideal time to provide an update about Darryl, and maybe the sequel will do just that via character dialogue.
If La Salle were to be part of Coming 2 America, then it would've made sense to include the aforementioned Dean. However, she hasn't appeared in a feature film since the 2003 drama Tears of the Sun, after previously landing roles in notable Hollywood productions like Speed 2: Cruise Control and Alias. For the sake of tight storytelling, perhaps it's best to leave Darryl and Patrice in the past to spend more time with returning New York-based characters like Randy Watson, Mr. Clarence, and Saul - all of whom are portrayed once again by Murphy in Coming 2 America.