Black Panther production shut down months after Letitia Wright injury
Film producer Ryan Coogler said they have shot all the scenes they can without Wright, who suffered an injury back in late August
The filming for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has halted as star Letitia Wright remains in London after suffering an injury on set, according to multiple sources.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the actress, who plays the brain and science behind Wakanda in her role as Shuri, sustained an injury and was hospitalized in late August while shooting a stunt in Boston.
Marvel Studios initially said that the injury would not impact the shooting schedule of the highly anticipated film. The first installment of the series, the Black Panther, won three Oscars and grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide.
After the breakout star and leader of the film franchise, Chadwick Boseman, died of colon cancer in late 2020, Shuri was elevated to the lead in the sequel.
Director Ryan Coogler said that the film’s cast has shot all the footage they can without Wright.
“Letitia has been recovering in London since September from injuries sustained on the set of Black Panther 2 and is looking forward to returning to work early 2022,” said a representative for Wright to the Hollywood Reporter. “Letitia kindly asks that you keep her in your prayers.”
The Guyanese-born British actress was thrust into the limelight after the release of the 2018 film.
Wright, who had had guest roles in shows like Black Mirror, Doctor Who, Top Boy and Coming Up, received international recognition after fans gushed over her smart, witty and loveable portrayal of T’Challa’s little sister.
The depiction of a woman in the field of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), also became an inspiration for young Black girls everywhere.
“I got a lot of messages, especially from young women, who were so happy to see themselves on screen, they were so happy to see someone making science and technology cool,” Wright told Mashable at the time.
Recently, Wright has made the headlines for another science-related issue: COVID-19 conspiracies.
In now-deleted social media post from December 2020, the actress shared a video that questioned the legitimacy of the vaccine, along with skepticism about climate change and transphobic comments.
Wright initially responded to criticism by joking about being “canceled” for having unpopular opinions, despite the public pointing out how harmful the rhetoric she reposted was.
After the Hollywood Reporter wrote an article citing that she “espoused similar views about the COVID-19 vaccines on the Atlanta production,” the actress said that the report was false.
“It saddens me to have to address the reports published by The Hollywood Reporter on October 6th 2021,” Wright wrote in a caption on Instagram. “The report spoke about my conduct on the set of Black Panther 2. I honestly assert that this was completely untrue.”
The film’s release date has been pushed back from July 2022 to November 2022.
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