Following yesterday's action-packed new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer, all signs point to Shuri becoming the MCU's new Black Panther. That was to be expected, of course, especially for those of you who have read the comic books (where T'Challa's sister took over the mantle when her brother was no longer able to rule).
Talking to Entertainment Weekly, actress Letitia Wright says Shuri has "buried herself in her technology" following her brother's death, and shares her excitement for exploring the character's duality as Princess and scientist.
"We haven't seen that on a major scale, where there's a young Black woman who's a princess, and she's also a scientist," Wright says. "I have this feeling of pride when a young woman comes up to me and says, "Hey, you made me feel smart in school, and you made me feel like I can be in technology alongside a man, and I feel empowered.'"
"That has changed my life forever."
In the same interview, Wright addressed her accident on set last year that saw her forced to take several weeks off from shooting with a shoulder fracture and concussion. "It was an unfortunate situation that set me back a bit, but in that time I surrounded myself with family and friends," she recalls. "Ryan, he was incredibly supportive."
"And it was a moment for me to gain courage that I never had before and I didn't know I had. You know when you go through situations, you're like, 'I didn't know I had this much strength in me until I went through it'? That was my experience. I got the healing that I needed, and I went back on set, and I was determined to not let that limit me."
"I felt like, 'Oh my goodness, what if I can't do the things that I'm used to doing?'" Wright concludes. "But by God's grace, I made it through, and I came back stronger."
There have been rumblings that Wright's alleged anti-vax views caused an issue on set, ultimately resulting in Marvel Studios taking the decision to only make her a temporary Black Panther. Nothing is confirmed on that front, though, and the site didn't ask the actress about those claims. From what we've seen, though, it does look like Shuri will make a great Black Panther.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, opens in theaters on November 11.