Shuri actress Letitia Wright and her controversial anti-vaccination sentiments were a major talking point ahead of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but what's the full story, and what does her MCU future hold? Following the resounding critical and commercial success of 2018's Black Panther, the inevitable sequel was immediately positioned among Marvel's most hotly anticipated follow-ups. A year on from Black Panther 2's official announcement, however, the man who brought T'Challa to life, Chadwick Boseman, tragically passed away after a private battle with colon cancer. Marvel later confirmed Black Panther 2 would continue production, but Boseman would not be recast.

In remembering its late star and T'Challa, Black Panther 2 will elevate supporting members of the original cast, and this includes Wright. T'Challa's little sister and Wakanda's foremost scientific genius, MCU fans immediately took Shuri to their hearts, enjoying both her comedic barbs and her resolute grit in battle. Unfortunately, Black Panther 2 finds itself filming in very different conditions compared to the first installment. With the impact of COVID-19 still keenly felt across the globe, and major studios keen to avoid the mass shutdowns of 2020, procedures are required to minimize the risk of cast and crew contracting the virus.

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COVID-19 has become a deeply divisive social and political issue. The anti-vax crowd has always been present in western society, spreading conspiracy theories without scientific evidence, but now that the world is being asked to vaccinate against COVID-19, the anti-vax issue has intensified, and celebrities have used their platforms to either support or question vaccination. Death on the Nile star The Letitia Wright anti-vax comments are among the highest-profile Hollywood COVID-19 vaccine controversies, and her future in the MCU came under ever-increasing scrutiny as a result. But was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever really directly impacted by Wright's views?

Black Panther 2: Letitia Wright's Anti-Vaccination Controversy Explained

The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Letitia Wright controversy began in December 2020, when the MCU's Shuri actress shared an anti-vaccination video on Twitter alongside a praying emoji. Presented by Tomi Arayomi, the YouTube video in question takes a strong position against vaccination of any kind—COVID-19 jabs included—but offers no evidence to back up the claims being made. Indeed, Arayomi admits in the clip that he doesn't medically understand how vaccines work. As if baseless questioning of the COVID vaccine wasn't enough, others accused the presenter of transphobia and climate change skepticism through his videos, completing the online conspiracy theorist bingo card. Though Black Panther's Shuri actor Letitia Wright deleted the problematic post, her tweet had already been shared thousands of times, and many questioned whether the actress should be using her huge public platform to spread this brand of potentially dangerous misinformation.

Letitia Wright's response to the backlash only stoked the coals of controversy further. On one hand, Wright semi-apologized, stating, "My intention was not to hurt anyone," but the actress also doubled down on the anti-vaccination spirit by complaining she was being canceled for not conforming to popular opinion, and reaffirming the video "raised my concerns with what the vaccine contains and what we are putting in our bodies." With a full and frank retraction nowhere in sight, Letitia Wright deleted her social media accounts to the backdrop of intensifying criticism, most notably from MCU co-star Don Cheadle, who summed up the mess by describing Wright's shared video as "hot garbage."

Unfortunately, that's not where Letitia Wright's anti-vax story ends. In October 2021, The Hollywood Reporter claimed the actress had been voicing anti-vaccination views on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever set, whilst also revealing she had been dropped by her U.S. representation due to the previous year's social media incident. A few days later, Wright returned to Instagram to deny THR's report, asserting that her behavior had been entirely professional throughout shooting Black Panther 2. Only those directly involved with Black Panther 2 know the truth but, nevertheless, the story brought Letitia Wright's anti-vaccination beliefs back into public focus, and the subsequent response suggested her stance remained unchanged since the previous year's ill-advised tweet.

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Letitia Wright's Injury & Black Panther 2 Production Shutdown

Shuri

In August 2021, reports surfaced concerning an on-set injury sustained by Letitia Wright during the filming of Black Panther 2. Though the full extent, nature, and circumstances were never revealed, the injuries were said to be minor. According to another THR report, Ryan Coogler (director) spent 2-3 months of 2021 filming as much Shuri-free Black Panther 2 footage as possible, but then found himself unable to proceed without Letitia Wright's involvement. Black Panther 2 effectively entered production shutdown for a few months, with Wright returning to film in January of 2022.

Though there certainly could've been other factors involved (reshoots and COVID procedures lengthening filming, for example), it's possible Black Panther 2's production shutdown contributed to 2021's spate of MCU movie delays. October 2021 saw a mass reshuffle of the Phase 4 slate, which Kevin Feige vaguely attributed to "production shifts and changes." By this point, Letitia Wright was already recovering in London, and Ryan Coogler would've been rapidly running out of material to shoot without Shuri, Wakanda's potential new leader. Highlighting the big drawback of a shared universe, if Black Panther 2 suddenly needed additional production time, the entire Phase 4 slate could've potentially been affected, though this isn't something Marvel Studios has ever officially confirmed.

Did Letitia Wright's Vaccination Status Further Delay Black Panther 2?

COVID-19 is still very much changing how the world operates, and in order to avoid lockdowns, restrictions, and isolating employees, many workplaces are encouraging the vaccine to reduce infections and limit the virus' severity. More than simply encouraging, vaccine mandates and vaccine passports became increasingly common across the globe in the latter half of 2021. Many mass gatherings and sporting events required proof of vaccination to attend, and Joe Biden's administration implemented mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers - something the UK did as well. As well as healthcare and entertainment, vaccination has been a key requirement for the travel industry too, and this is where Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could have encountered another Letitia Wright problem.

Current travel rules demand that most non-US citizens be vaccinated before entering the country. That guidance came into effect on November 8, 2021, and is still in place. Letitia Wright was confirmed by her representatives as residing in London during this time, and the actress does not hold US citizenship. This raised questions about whether Wright's vaccination status would prevent her from traveling to the US and filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in Atlanta in early 2022 (based on the assumption that she wasn't). Fortunately, Wright did indeed resume filming with the rest of the Black Panther 2 cast, in January, and production for the film seems to have been on schedule since, with shooting wrapping in March 2022.

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Due to the sad loss of Chadwick Boseman, it's widely believed that Shuri will adopt a more central role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and the presence of Ironheart as a protégé supports that theory. If true, it's a good thing Letitia Wright's vaccination controversy didn't prevent her from finishing work on the project. Plenty of Hollywood actors quit projects due to their vaccination status in 2021 and onward, but that was never really an option for an established character like Letitia Wright's Shuri.

Shuri Has Replaced T'Challa In Marvel Comics – Will Black Panther 2 Follow Suit?

Black Panther Wakanda Forever Shuri SR

As of now, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to release on November 11, 2022, and given that filming wrapped in March, it should be able to meet that goal. What's more, the trailer has confirmed that there is a female Black Panther in the sequel, though it still hasn't been confirmed as Shuri. Nonetheless, merchandise for the film and Shuri's seemingly significant amount of screen time in the Black Panther 2 trailer imply that Letitia Wright's character is gaining a more central MCU role despite the actor's vaccination controversy. Ultimately, this does make sense, as Shuri has always been a fan favorite, and this would follow Phase 4's trend of establishing legacy characters. Should Shuri eat the Heart-Shaped Herb, she'd be joining the ranks of Kate Bishop, Sam Wilson's Cap, Yelena Romanoff, and She-Hulk in the MCU's next generation. As for whether Shuri's continued presence means she's officially the new Black Panther, that question will likely have to wait for the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever before being answered. Shuri did become the Black Panther for a time in the comics, so it's still on the table.

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