Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Lupita Nyong'o appears to be back on her feet — and throwing punches — after testing positive for COVID-19 a few weeks ago. Production on the Black Panther sequel was just restarting following Letitia Wright's stunt injury, only to be halted again when a COVID-19 outbreak affected several members of the cast and crew, Nyong'o included. Filming appears to be on the home stretch, however, with Black Panther 2 still set to hit theaters on November 11 as scheduled.

Black Panther 2 has experienced a tumultuous journey to completion, starting with the tragic loss of titular star Chadwick Boseman, who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2020. Writers have since reframed the storyline to allow T'Challa's younger sister, Shuri (played by Wright), to lead the film. Then, last year, Wright suffered a fractured shoulder and concussion while performing a stunt on set, putting production on pause until her recovery. Filming on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was supposed to resume in Atlanta earlier this month, but COVID-19 brought the project to yet another stop.

Related: Why Black Panther Fans Want Marvel To Recast T'Challa For Wakanda Forever

Nyong'o, who will reprise her supporting role as Nakia in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, had initially shared her positive COVID-19 test on January 4, tweeting that she was fully vaccinated and self-isolating, tagging her post with the caption, “#StayMaskedAndVaxxed." Her diagnosis was the reason the actress also dropped out of promotions for her latest film, spy flick The 355, which premiered January 7. But according to a photo and video posted to Instagram on Monday, Nyong'o seems to be recovering well, writing, "I may have been down ... But I am coming back!" The Marvel star shared an image of herself resting in bed, followed by a photo in workout gear and video showing Nyong'o throwing punches with a set of weights. See her before-and-after post below.

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Nyong'o's recovery is welcome news, and certainly gives hope to the future of Black Panther 2 and its ongoing production. Thankfully, filming on the Phase 4 project seems to be on the cusp of completion. So long as there's no official word on a release delay, Marvel fans eager for the next adventure in Wakanda should have nothing to worry about.

If anything, the seemingly endless array of setbacks only adds to the emotional weight of the film; first rocked by Boseman's passing, then COVID-19, and multiple script rewrites in an effort to move forward alongside the Marvel Cinematic Universe's ever-evolving (not to mention increasingly complicated) storyline. Sometimes behind-the-scenes complications such as these can make themselves apparent in the final product, so fans will hope that Black Panther 2 isn't plagued by these issues in its theatrical cut. Still, when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters just before Thanksgiving, filmmakers and audiences alike will have more than just a new movie to be grateful for.

Next: Killmonger Can't Return To The MCU Without Ruining His Black Panther Story

Source: Lupita Nyong'o