Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Is Resuming Production In January
"Letitia Wright," "Black Panther 2," and "Shuri" were all trending on Twitter during different points of the day yesterday, with tons of speculation that "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" was on hiatus due to the vaccination status of actor Letitia Wright who plays Shuri, the assumed successor to T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman) as the ruler of Wakanda. A news outlet released an article stating that Wright "doesn't want to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe because she is unwilling to get the vaccine." We will not be linking to or referencing the source because people who post giant freakin' unsubstantiated claims don't deserve the traffic.
This isn't the first time rumors have circulated surrounding Wright's participation in the film, as the pandemic has brought to light some really questionable behavior on her part. She shared a 69-minute YouTube video back in December that was filled with anti-vax and transphobic rhetoric, including the prayer hands emoji as a caption for the video. She was immediately blasted for sharing the video to which she responded "If you don't conform to popular opinions, but ask questions and think for yourself ... you get cancelled [sic]." "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" recently went on hiatus as Wright sustained injuries on set and needs time to heal, which only stirred up the conspiracy mill once again.
Regardless of how anyone feels about Wright's personal decisions, the rumors are false and according to The Hollywood Reporter's newsletter, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is set to resume production in late January in Atlanta, with Wright returning to fulfill her duties as Shuri.
Shuri is Returning, Whether We Like it Or Not
The news of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" returning to set in late January was actually announced over three weeks ago, but yesterday's rumor spread like wildfire, mostly because it sounded so within the realm of possibility that people had no problem believing it to be true. The trending rumor was filled with many lamenting their disappointment over Wright's off-screen behavior, but many more giving their opinions on possible actor recasting options or in-universe possibilities for new successors to the "Black Panther" title in the wake of Chadwick Boseman's passing. Disney and Marvel made the conscious decision not to recast the role of T'Challa, instead choosing to explore the world and the characters first introduced in the first film as a way of honoring his legacy.
While Letitia Wright's Shuri seems to be the most obvious successor, there has still not been a guarantee that she will take up the mantle left behind by her brother. Plot details to the film have been kept under wraps, but Lupita Nyong'o confirmed that the film is "respectful" to the loss of Boseman.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is still scheduled to hit theaters on November 11, 2022.