Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will feature the returns of several franchise mainstays, and one of them is Letitia Wright. The actress portrayed Shuri, the genius younger sister of T'Challa, who made her MCU debut in 2018's Black Panther.
After an impressive introduction, Wright reprised her role as Shuri during Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, helping Earth's Mightiest Heroes in their battles against Thanos and his forces.
Plot details of Wakanda Forever are still being kept under wraps, but it's reasonable to assume that Wright's Shuri will have an expanded role in the film's narrative.
At this stage, the MCU sequel was revealed to be filming scenes at the campus of MIT, and set photos confirmed that Wright wa present alongside Danai Gurira and Marvel newcomer Dominique Thorne.
Now, an unfortunate incident has surfaced in regard to the sequel's production.
LETITIA WRIGHT HOSPITALIZED
Update: Deadline revealed that Wright has been released from the hospital.
Deadline shared in a report that Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri in the Black Panther franchise, suffered minor injuries due to a stunt rig incident on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The accident happened during an overnight shoot in Boston, Massachusetts on MIT's campus.
Marvel Studios shared an official statement about the current incident, citing that she "is expected to be released soon:"
“Letitia Wright sustained minor injuries today while filming a stunt for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She is currently receiving care in a local hospital and is expected to be released soon."
Deadline also shared that Wright's injuries "will not have an impact on the film's shooting schedule." The outlet revealed that the primary shoot for Wakanda Forever has been going on in Atlanta "going back to the end of June."
GOOD NEWS: SHURI IS FINE
The latest confirmation that Letitia Wright has been released from the hospital is a positive sign, and this could hint that the Marvel actress will be back to film scenes for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever sooner rather than later.
Given that Wright's injuries were caused by a stunt rig incident, it's safe to say that the actress is involved with heavy action scenes in the sequel. For context, stunt rigging, as defined by stuntrigging.org, is the "art of making people fly through the air, skid on the ground, float in space, fly like Superman, get smashed into things without harm, and display superhuman strength."
To recap, Shuri was only involved in a minimal number of action scenes during Black Panther, but this latest report suggests that the Wakandan princess will be on the field and ready to take on any imminent threat that she will encounter. While it is unknown if Shuri will become the next Black Panther after the tragic passing of the late Chadwick Boseman, it makes sense that she will take up the mantle since she is the most natural choice.
Shuri being involved in more action scenes presents many story possibilities. For starters, the MCU hero needs a teacher for her fight training, and the Dora Milaje seems poised to take that responsibility. Given her bond with Okoye combined with the fact that the pair have been spotted on-set together, it looks like Shuri will be tested right off the bat.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to premiere in theaters on July 8, 2022.
