'Black Panther 2' Star Letitia Wright Hospitalized After Suffering A Minor Injury
According to Variety, Letitia Wright, the breakout star of the original Black Panther film in 2018, was hospitalized after suffering minor injuries on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Production on Marvel’s highly-anticipated Black Panther sequel finally began in June. Filming is primarily based in Atlanta. However, Wright’s accident happened during an overnight shoot in Boston, Massachusetts.
Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios did not offer any specifics about the nature of the injuries. However, the mishap involved a stunt rig and won’t impact the film’s shooting schedule.
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A spokesperson for Marvel subsequently addressed Wright’s condition in a new statement:
“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.”
It has now been reported that the actress has indeed been released from hospital and that filming won't be disrupted by the incident
Wright is reprising her role as Shuri, T’Challa’s sister, in the Black Panther sequel, titled Wakanda Forever, returning alongside Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Winston Duke (M’Baku), and Martin Freeman (Everett Ross). Additionally, Michaela Coel has been cast in an undisclosed role. There has been a ton of speculation that Shuri will be the one to replace her brother as the next Black Panther following Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death in 2020. The rumors remain unconfirmed. Regardless, the fact that Wright is doing her own stunts is leaning toward the possibility that she’ll be getting in at least some of the action when the movie arrives next year on July 8, 2022. It will be part of Phase Four of the MCU
With the first Black Panther film, Wright’s character Shuri is the genius inventor and younger sister to T’Challa, played by the late Chadwick Boseman. She also appeared in the MCU team-up films Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Some of the film’s new additions include Michaela Coel and Dominique Thorne, who will make her MCU debut as Riri Williams before headlining her own Ironheart series on Disney+. Ryan Coogler is also returning as the sequel’s writer and director.
The synopsis for Wakanda Forever reveals that the country will be clashing with another secret society, specifically the hidden underwater realm of Atlantis, which means that the highly-anticipated character Namor is finally joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We're sure he will be a recurring character going forward.
During Disney's Investor Day in December 2020, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that in honor of Boseman, the titular role as the Wakandan superhero would not be recast. Instead, the film "will explore the world of Wakanda and the rich characters introduced in the first film," Feige said.
Nyong'o recently spoke about the upcoming Marvel film in an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment while promoting her new YouTube original animated series Super Sema.
"People will ask me, 'Are you excited to go back?' Excitement isn't the word. I feel like I'm in a very pensive and meditative state when it comes to Black Panther 2. [Chadwick's] passing is still extremely raw for me. And I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like to step on set and not have him there."
Nyong'o said Coogler's script carefully addresses Boseman's absence after the actor died in August of 2020 after a four-year struggle with colon cancer.
"At the same time we have a leader in Ryan, who feels very much like we do, who feels the loss in a very, very real way as well. And his idea, the way which he has reshaped the second movie is so respectful of the loss we've all experienced as a cast and as a world."
Meanwhile, Wakanda's female fighting force the Dora Milaje are getting their own Disney+ series as well. Boseman's final performance is also featured in the animated series Marvel's What If...? which is currently dropping new episodes weekly on Disney+ and showing new sides to your favorite MCU characters in alternate universes.
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