Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has had a long and arduous production, marred by delays and controversies throughout filming. Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, and more return for the much-anticipated sequel to Black Panther, carrying on Chadwick Boseman's legacy as T'Challa. The film received a delay much like many of Marvel Studios' 2022 and 2023 upcoming films, moving the release back to a new date of November 11, 2022.
Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore saw the move as a positive though, saying that it "just gives [the filmmakers] more time to get it right."
This delay came after Shuri actress Letitia Wright sustained an injury on the set of the Black Panther sequel, which caused filming to go on without her. The production reached an impasse though once they had completed all of the shooting they were able to do without the actress, causing Wakanda Forever to go into a production hiatus.
Now, a new report spells hopeful news for the completion of Wakanda Forever's filming.
Letitia Wright Returns to Black Panther Set
BBC News reported that, as confirmed by Disney, Shuri actress Letitia Wright has returned to the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to resume filming.
A spokesperson for Wright stated that the actress has fully recovered from the injury that she sustained while shooting a stunt for the film last year, which caused production on the sequel to be halted.
Wright returns to the set amid ongoing controversy regarding alleged comments on the Black Panther sequel's set last year.
Previous reports claimed that Letitia Wright was spreading "anti-vaccination sentiments" on the Wakanda Forever set, which Wright denied outright and led to online backlash from fans. This controversy continued when it was reported that Wright was still not vaccinated against COVID-19, which would have prevented her from filming in the United States.
Will Black Panther Sequel Be Delayed?
The heads of Marvel Studios were confident in their previous letter to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever crew that production would resume in January, so it seems that the hindrances that were holding filming back have indeed been worked through.
Now the Black Panther sequel can finally wrap up the remainder of filming. As of now, it is unclear whether the delays to production will impact the film's release, given that Wakanda Forever will now have a much shorter window for post-production.
It is possible that Wakanda Forever could take The Marvels' slot of February 17, 2023 instead or swap places with it if the Brie Larson-led film is able to be prepped in time. Given that there has been no word that the Captain Marvel sequel has fully wrapped production yet though, it is more likely that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would have to push the entirety of the MCU's slate if it were to be delayed.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently set to release in theaters on November 11, 2022.
