Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Letitia Wright opens up about the rumors of Shuri taking over the mantel from her brother T'Challa.
Speaking to MTV News at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Wright was asked about the last shot in the teaser trailer to the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel. The image in question showed an unknown character from behind wearing a black and gold Panther suit whipping out vibranium claws. Asked if Shuri was the one donning the mantle, Wright expressed confusion as if she had not seen the trailer. "I don't know what you're talking about," said Wright. "But November 11, you get your ticket."
Following the groundbreaking success of 2018's Black Panther, the sequel Wakanda Forever was announced in 2019, with Oscar-nominated actor Chadwick Boseman set to reprise his role as T'Challa. But on Aug. 28, 2020, Boseman sadly passed away following an undisclosed battle with colon cancer. Questions circulated in the media and MCU fans about whether or not the role of Wakanda's king would be replaced with another actor. At Disney Investor Day in 2020, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige confirmed that T'Challa would not be recast.
Wright made her MCU debut as Shuri, T'Challa's sister and Wakanda tech genius, in Black Panther. She reprised her role in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Her return in Wakanda Forever has not been a smooth ride as Wright suffered several stunt-related injuries that delayed the production. Additionally, Wright's unvaxxed status led to additional delays and public scrutiny from a segment of fans demanding her removal from the film.
While Wright remains tight-lipped about Shuri's transition into the new Black Panther, she did say that Wakanda Forever will honor Boseman's memory. "It is an incredible honor for Chadwick Boseman," said Wright. "We committed every day to working hard, no matter what circumstances we faced. And we faced a lot of circumstances. A lot of difficult situations, but we came together as a team."
Directed by Ryan Coogler, Wakanda Forever sees Shuri along with her mother Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje protect Wakanda against new world threats following the sudden passing of T'Challa. The film also sees Lupita Nyong’o and Martin Freeman reprise their roles as Nakia and Everett Ross, respectively, as well as the MCU debuts of Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart and Tenoch Huerta as Namor.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on Nov. 11, 2022.
Source: MTV News via YouTube