There's a good chance that, even if you're not a Black Panther comics fan, going into the movie you had a pretty good grasp on the basics -- especially if you did your Marvel Cinematic Universe homework and watched Captain America: Civil War first. You might have even been prepared, thanks to the thorough marketing campaign, to be introduced to a whole roster of new characters as Wakanda's finest were showcased on screen.
You probably weren't, however, ready for one of those new faces to almost completely steal Black Panther out from under the king himself.
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T'Challa's 16-year-old sister Shuri is played by Letitia Wright who, before this, was known mostly for BBC series like Black Mirror and a handful of indie films. That relatively thin resume only added to the surprise when she nabbed scene after scene, even when paired with some of Hollywood's most recognizable names. So, don't worry if you came out of Black Panther with a sudden and totally unexpected love for the princess of Wakanda. For one thing, you're far from alone, but for another? With any luck, Shuri's story in the MCU is only beginning.
The character was introduced in 2005 by Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr. in Marvel's Black Panther comic, which means there's plenty of content from which to mine ideas for her cinematic future. Of course, there are some key differences between both of Shuri's incarnations. For one, there's an age difference: Shuri in the comics is no longer the scrappy kid sister but an adult; for another, there's a considerably less-jovial sibling relationship. Shuri's comics incarnation has her eyes decidedly on the prize of the Black Panther mantle, and is so envious of her brother that the Panther God reject her first attempt to assume the mantle when T'Challa is indisposed.
That doesn't last long, however, and Shuri becomes the Black Panther in earnest. She also assumes the title of queen of Wakanda while T'Challa steps into a role as King of the Dead in a storyline the MCU may never pursue -- but that doesn't really matter. The point is there are enough stories involving Shuri to inspire plenty of content for the character on screen, even if it's not followed verbatim in its adaptation. And, really, it's content that needs to be put on screen.
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Not only has the 24-year-old Wright proved herself a more than capable actor, she's managed to capture the hearts and imaginations of countless fans, young and old, already generating her fair share of buzz on social media and in reviews. During the press junket in Los Angeles, a mother stood up to ask Wright a question that came from her 9-year-old daughter, who was excited about Shuri's inventions. An interview with Wright in Vanity Fair recounted a similar incident in which the journalist left a screening to see two boys bounding out of the theater, both pretending to be Shuri. Comments from critics and fans have washed out across social media, proclaiming her as the movie's standout -- you get the idea.
The Shuri explosion is catching on in a way that may even feel reminiscent of Marvel's more recognizable characters, like Spider-Man, who stands as the MCU's only other teen hero. Like Peter Parker, Shuri is charming, quick-witted and quirky in a way only teenagers can be. But where Peter represents a concept that is well and truly baked into popular culture -- even people who don't follow the MCU or who have never picked up a comic can probably tell you some Spider-Man factoids -- Shuri represents something completely and totally new, and something free of the burden of too much expectation or nostalgic weight to allow her the elasticity to grow and change.
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What that means is Shuri doesn't need to follow in the footsteps of her comic book counterpart and take on the Black Panther mantle to make herself distinctive (although she certainly could if the time ever comes). Her role in Black Panther established her as an easy answer to the MCU's inventor problem. With Robert Downey Jr'.s Tony Stark likely to be retiring from the spotlight shortly after Avengers: Infinity War, the braintrust of S.H.I.E.L.D. dismantled after Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Project Insight, and the other earthbound engineers in the shared universe either occupying villainous or retired niches, there's plenty of room for the Avengers' answer to James Bond's Q. And, with the confirmation that Shuri is the smartest person in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she's certainly more than qualified for the job.
Sure, at some point she could step in to fill her brother's shoes just like her comics counterpart, but until then, she's been both positioned and designed impeccably to start hopping around the MCU on the regular. It's this versatility -- Shuri could easily switch between main and supporting roles in any number of upcoming movies -- that makes her an easy pick for the cinematic universe's next big thing. And, hey, if that does end up leading to Shuri's very own solo Black Panther outing a few years down the line then, well ... we're certainly not going to complain.
Directed by Ryan Coogler from a script he wrote with Joe Robert Cole, Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue, Winston Duke as M’Baku and Forest Whitaker as Zuri. The film opens Friday nationwide.