Marvel Studios vice president of production and development Nate Moore wasn't happy with the speculation surrounding Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Letitia Wright's views on COVID-19 vaccination.
The producer of the upcoming Black Panther sequel told Variety he was concerned with the reports about Wright's vaccination status, saying that he never asked the Guyanese-British actor whether or not she received the vaccine. "It's not a question we asked of anybody, to be quite honest," Moore said. "She never talked about her views either way. We read the stories that I would argue were unfair, because I don't know where they're coming from. As someone who literally is on set next to the monitor all the time, I feel like I would have heard it." Moore also confirmed there was no vaccine requirement for the Wakanda Forever cast and insisted Wright was a pro throughout production. "She only ever was the utmost professional and a joy to have around," he said.
Wright's vaccination status first became a hot topic in December 2020 when she shared a YouTube video wherein a church leader questioned the legitimacy of the COVID-19 vaccines and made comments perceived by many as transphobic. YouTube later removed the video, and Wright insisted she only shared it to warn people about the possible risks of the vaccines. Wright deleted her social media accounts soon after.
Letitia Wright Still Hasn't Addressed Her Vaccination Status
Reports that Wright promoted anti-vaccine sentiments while filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever began circulating in late 2021. Wright declined to talk about the reports, instead returning to Instagram to release a statement addressing the "completely untrue" claim. "Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows that I work incredibly hard at my craft [and] my main focus is always to do work that's impactful and inspiring," she wrote. "That has been [and] will continue to be my only focus." Wright never did confirm whether or not she received vaccination against COVID-19, and a September 2022 report suggested Marvel was disappointed with Wright's anti-vax sentiments.
The speculation surrounding Wright's vaccine views wasn't the actor's only problem while shooting Wakanda Forever. In August 2021, she suffered an on-set accident that left her with a concussion and fractured shoulder, which put filming on pause for several weeks. Wright recently revealed she is still healing from the accident. "I'm still processing it," she said. "I'm still working through it in therapy. It was really traumatic."
Wright made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Shuri, the younger sister of T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), in 2018's Black Panther and reprised the role in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. She has long been rumored to be T'Challa's successor to the Black Panther mantle, something Wright says was discussed early on in her MCU run, though she's denied multiple times she will take on the role.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in theaters on Nov. 11.
Source: Variety