During the pandemic, Black Panther star Letitia Wright has come under fire on several occasions for some controversial opinions relating to COVID-19. As well as some suspect social media posts, we've also heard that the actress has rather vocally shared her anti-vax views on the set of Ryan Coogler's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
That movie recently paused production to give Wright time to recover from injuries sustained on set earlier this year, and Giant Freakin Robot shared a bold claim earlier this week about her Marvel Cinematic Universe future.
According to the site, Wright being unwilling to get the vaccine means Disney's mandate for all cast and crew to have had the jab would cause problems down the line, thereby leading to her leaving the Black Panther franchise (as she wouldn't want to work for a studio requiring her to have a vaccine she doesn't want to get). It adds up, and would obviously end Shuri's story sooner than anticipated.
Well, The Hollywood Reporter has now weighed in, stating: "We did some digging and sources close to the production say Panther 2 is indeed on track to resume production in late January in Atlanta. With Wright." So, she is returning to set, but Black Panther: Wakanda Forever began production before this mandate was laid down by the House of Mouse.
It's certainly feasible that everything is fine and Wright will continue to play Shuri, possibly becoming the MCU's new Black Panther in the process. However, it's hard not to wonder whether this break in production is to give Marvel Studios a chance to change the story and write the character out. We might not know until the movie is actually released, but it feels like something is going on here.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to be released on November 11, 2022.
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