Contrary to circulating rumors and reports, Letitia Wright is not departing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
According to The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision newsletter, the sequel to 2018's Black Panther will resume production in January 2022 with Wright in attendance. The movie is currently on hiatus due to an injury Wright suffered on the set of the film. However, it has been reported that Wright is expressing anti-vaccine views on the set, leading some to believe that she would be departing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Wright denied these reports, saying, "The report spoke about my conduct on the set of Black Panther 2. I honestly assert that this was completely untrue."
This is not the first time Wright has been accused of being anti-vaccine. In December 2020, she shared an anti-vaccine video—which also included anti-trans comments—on her now-deleted Twitter account. As of Nov. 10, Wright was reported to still not be vaccinated.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever went on pause in November, but Wright actually entered the hospital back in August. For several months, the crew was able to film scenes that did not involve her, but they have seemingly exhausted that option. At the time, her injuries were thought to be minor. However, it was later reported that she suffered a fractured shoulder and a concussion during the scarcely detailed incident.
"Letitia has been recovering in London since September from injuries sustained on the set of Black Panther 2 and is looking forward to returning to work early 2022," a representative for the actor said in a statement back in November.
"Running a production of this scale in the midst of a pandemic is not an easy task, and you have remained diligent and professional throughout," Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito and Nate Moore said in a memo sent to the production crew at the time the pause was announced. "In addition, as you are all aware, Letitia had a frightening accident on our set during a stunt back in August. It was a reminder of the importance of safety at all times in our work, which we know you understand and are committed to. What we had initially thought were minor injuries turned out to be much more serious with Letitia suffering a critical shoulder fracture, and a concussion with severe side effects. It has been a painful process and Letitia has been home recovering with her doctors and the support of family."
Wright plays Shuri, the sister of T'Challa / Black Panther (the late Chadwick Boseman) in the MCU. Other returning cast members include Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Winston Duke and Angela Bassett. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in theaters on Nov. 11. 2022.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter