Earlier in the month, Marvel Studios announced that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would take a production break while Letitia Wright continues to recover from an injury that she suffered during a stunt accident in late August. At the time, Marvel revealed that director Ryan Coogler had already been filming around Wright’s scenes and completed as much of the sequel as he could while she’s still in London. However, considering Wright plays the key role of Shuri, who is the sister to the late Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa and a potential heir to the Black Panther mantle, there’s only so much that Coogler can do without Wright.
Compounding the problem is the fact that Wright apparently suffered more severe injuries than what was previously reported. In a new letter to the cast and crew of Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige revealed the status of Wright’s recovery, but also confirmed that she will remain a key part of the sequel. Via Deadline:
What we had initially thought were minor injuries turned out to be much more serious with Letitia suffering a critical shoulder fracture, and a concussion with severe side effects. It has been a painful process and Letitia has been home recovering with her doctors and the support of family.
We’ve adjusted our production schedule so she has the time she needs to heal, but there’s only so much we can do without Shuri! We also want to thank Letitia for everything she’s doing to get back to the set – we know how much she loves this role, how tough it’s been for her to be away, and how hard she’s working to recover as quickly as she safely can. We are eagerly awaiting her return and we know we will all come back stronger together.
This new revelation that Wright’s injuries are more serious arrives on the heels of reports that the actress, who is allegedly unvaccinated, may not be able to return to the United States due to new travel restrictions. While Feige’s letter shows no signs of that being an issue, the speculation about her Marvel situation is probably not going away anytime soon.
(Via Deadline)
Source: https://uproxx.com/movies/letitia-wright-black-panther-2-production-hiatus-injuries-unvaccinated/
