Shuri has emerged in the last couple of years as one of the MCU’s most popular characters after being introduced in Black Panther. Letitia Wright is brilliant at delivering the character’s one-liners in a hysterically deadpan style, and she’s been characterized as one of the fiercest and strongest female characters in the MCU.
Since Shuri has so quickly become a fan favorite, fans can certainly expect a bright future for this character, who is responsible for many of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most hilarious lines thus far.
Updated on October 4th, 2022 by Jordan Iacobucci: Though it has been some time since MCU fans have spent time with the princess of Wakanda, Shuri continues to be one of the franchise's most beloved characters. As viewers prepare to reunite with the young genius in next month's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the time has come to review some of her most hilarious lines in the franchise so far.
“Do You Think It’s A Good Idea To Bring Your Ex On A Mission?”
Black Panther
The funniest MCU characters are the ones that keep the movies self-aware. If there’s a situation that seems a little too unrealistic or comic book-y, they can jump in with a joke that points this out. Shuri does just this when T'Challa considers taking Nakia, his ex, along for the mission in South Korea.
Seeing that the two still had unresolved feelings for each other, Shuri hilariously chimes in with a bit of helpful wisdom that exes working together on an important mission might not be the best idea her brother ever had.
“No, It’s Kansas.”
Black Panther
When Everett Ross asks her if he’s in Wakanda, Shuri sarcastically replies that he's in Kansas. The MCU spends so much time referencing its own movies and TV shows with crossovers and Easter eggs and callbacks that there isn’t much time left to make references to other areas of popular culture, making this kind of line a rarity.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t make the time to throw in those references from time to time. In this line, Shuri references The Wizard of Oz, switching out Dorothy for Martin Freeman’s character Everett Ross when he awakens in her lab to see futuristic technology all over what he’d been led to believe was a third-world country.
“It’s Like Riding A Hover-Bike.”
Black Panther
When teaching Everett Ross how to work the holographic controls for a vibranium-powered aircraft during Black Panther's final battle, Shuri humorously refers to it "like riding a hover-bike," astounding the already baffled CIA agent.
The technology that Shuri has created from the hidden mountain of vibranium that powers Wakanda is staggering. MCU fans call Tony Stark and Bruce Banner the “Science Bros,” but Shuri has created technology and gadgets far beyond their grasp all by herself. The level of Shuri’s innovation is perfectly shown when she refers to a hover-bike as a lower, more primitive technology.
“I Invite You To My Lab And You Just Kick Things Around!”
Black Panther
Shuri is a fun take on the "Q" role from the James Bond movies. She is the tech expert who equips the hero with all of his cool weapons, but she’s also the hero’s sister, so she’s constantly poking fun at him, including when T'Challa accidentally made a mess in her laboratory.
Though she is far smarter than the audience could even grasp, Black Panther makes sure to humanize Shuri by giving her some very relatable qualities, including a mischievous side that can't help but mess with her brother, who clearly had no intention of wreaking havoc on her lab.
“‘People Are Shooting At Me. Wait, Let Me Put My Helmet On!’”
Black Panther
The sly thing about Shuri is that she knows that while her brother gets all the credit, it’s her tech that keeps him alive while in the field. With this line, she points out his affection for antiquated technology that’s going to get him killed.
Because she’s his sister, Shuri is just about the only person in Wakanda who doesn’t see him as a bold, heroic king, but rather as a lovable goofball. Not that she doesn’t see her brother as a bold, heroic king, too – in her eyes, he’ll always be the “true king.” But above all, they’re just siblings who like to mess with each other. Consequently, the very suits she made for her brother may come to save her life should she take up the mantle of Black Panther one day.
“I’m Sure You Did Your Best.”
Avengers: Infinity War
Like Tony Stark, Shuri knows that she’s so smart that she can condescend to everyone. When Steve Rogers and some of the other Avengers show up at Wakanda to get the Mind Stone out of Vision’s head and keep it out of Thanos’ hands, Shuri gets to look down at Bruce Banner.
As soon as they arrive, she comes up with a strategy – to “reprogram the synapses to work collectively.” Banner humbly tells Shuri that they didn’t think of that and she says, “I’m sure you did your best," subtly proving her superior intelligence
“I Thought You Meant Coachella Or Disneyland.”
Black Panther
“When you said you would take me to California for the first time, I thought you meant Coachella or Disneyland.”
What makes Black Panther such an incredible movie is that it doesn’t just get the audience to empathize with the villain and understand his motivations; it gets the hero to do the same. T’Challa defeats Killmonger, but does vow to make the world a better place by sharing Wakanda's secrets with the world. Shuri was less than impressed with the gesture, expressing her disappointment regarding her brother's travel plans.
Even in a moment of genuine emotional catharsis, Shuri has a way of making the audience laugh all the more. In reality, such a comment was likely designed by the young genius to alleviate the tension, though there might have been a touch of truth in her disappointed words.
“Great, Another Broken White Boy For Us To Fix!”
Black Panther
After Everett Ross is wounded in the line of duty, T'Challa desperately brings him to Shuri's lab for healing, prompting his sister to jokingly retort that he's brought her yet another "white boy" to fix, as this seems to be a recurring theme between the siblings.
Audiences would later learn what Shuri was referring to when speaking of "another" white boy, as the film's post-credit scene revealed that Bucky's mind had indeed been fixed by the Wakandan technology at Shuri's command. Of course, Shuri has a rather blasé attitude about the entire affair.
“This Corset Is Really Uncomfortable, Can We Wrap This Up?"
Black Panther
During her brother's coronation ceremony at the ancestral waterfall, Shuri causes the entire nation to hold its breath as she raises her hand during the challenging session of the event. She takes a moment to relish their surprise before asking a simple question about going home.
Shuri has a way of purposefully getting under other peoples' skin--and she certainly enjoys doing it. As such, she simply couldn't resist having a little bit of fun at the entire country's expense, though things would take a turn for the worse once M'Baku showed up.
“Why Do You Have Your Toes Out In My Lab?”
Black Panther
One of the funniest moments in Black Panther comes when T’Challa heads down to Shuri’s lab and Shuri is horrified to see that he’s wearing sandals. He tells her that his plan was to “go old-school” for his first day as the King of Wakanda.
Of course, Shuri has an unwritten rule that you can’t come into her lab if you have exposed toes, which isn’t too unreasonable of a rule. If there’s one thing Shuri loves more than anything, it’s making fun of her brother, and when he wears sandals to visit her lab, he a really easy target for his sister.
"Did He Freeze?"
Black Panther
Though T'Challa quickly established himself as one of the few MCU superheroes not to typically partake in the many witty quips for which the franchise is known, his supporting cast proved especially ruthless in this field, particularly his younger sister. Shuri immediately seizes the opportunity to embarrass her brother in front of Nakia, asking if he froze the moment he saw her.
This line displays Shuri's relentless crusade to embarrass her brother at every possible moment, especially when his ex-girlfriend was involved. While Shuri's antics were certainly light-hearted, she also knew when to take things back a step and support T'Challa when he needed it most.
"Don't Scare Me Like That, Colonizer!"
Black Panther
One of Shuri's most memorable lines comes during a scene with Everett K. Ross, who startles the young princess, causing her to scold him for scaring her before hilariously labeling him a "colonizer."
Shuri is not only the smartest person in any given room, but she is also quite adept at making others feel uncomfortable. She enjoyed picking on Ross in particular, who seemed especially vulnerable to her sarcastic quips and affectionate, yet uncomfortable, nicknames.
"What Are Those?"
Black Panther
Though Wakanda is known for being isolated from the rest of the world, it would seem that Shuri had found a way to keep up with social trends. After seeing T'Challa enter her lab wearing sandals, she memorably exclaims "What are those?!" referencing a well-known, though perhaps outdated, meme.
As hit-or-miss as pop culture references can be in these films, the audience can't help but fall in love with Shuri following her outburst, which happens to be one of her very first scenes in the franchise. This moment gave viewers a perfect description of what kind of character Shuri would be moving forward, instantly winning them over to her side.