Some websites just need to be shut down. Over the last few days, the internet has been buzzing with the “news” that Letitia Wright would likely be cut from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever because she refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and would not be allowed to leave her home in the United Kingdom to return to the United States where the sequel had been filming. There was even talk that Disney and Marvel Studios were looking to recast her role as Shuri, the genius sister of T’Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman, R.I.P.).
Now, granted, Wright is an anti-science anti-vaxer but this complete B.S. was spewed forth by a website that literally publishes nothing but lies. I’m not even going to mention it by name and certainly won’t be linking to it. But if you’ve been on social media within the last few days, you know who I’m talking about.
REPUTABLE website, The Hollywood Reporter has reacted by stating:
“Letitia Wright and Black Panther 2 started trending Thursday with some rumors coming in from the lowlands.
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.”
Now, no specific source is cited (as is normal), but The Hollywood Reporter is one of the most respected publications around when it comes to entertainment news. Definitely take their word over that of some hack site that just wants to generate clicks.
Whether you want Letitia Wright back as Shuri is a personal preference. Fans have had similar reactions to another openly conservative actor, Chris Pratt, who plays Peter Quill/Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and other Marvel flicks. But at least for now, it appears that Wright will be back.
Wright returned to England to recover after suffering injuries on the set of Wakanda Forever. This occurred back in late November and production shut down until early 2022 to allow her to recover.
In December of last year, Wright shared a lengthy video on social media which contained anti-vaccination claims as well as anti-transgender rhetoric. She captioned the social media post with a string of “hands praying” emojis. At that time, many expected Disney to drop her but the studio didn’t. After being attacked, Wright simply shrugged off the incident by stating:
“If you don’t conform to popular opinions, but ask questions and think for yourself … you get cancelled [sic].”
(She clearly did not get “cancelled.”)
Both Wright and Pratt are conservative Christians and that has created a bond between them, as most of their co-stars are liberal.
While promoting Avengers: Infinity War in 2018, Wright was asked who her favorite co-star was and she replied:
“Chris Pratt was genuinely a great person. He would like give me bible scriptures out of nowhere and then do a dance and leave. He’s great. I love Chris Pratt.”
But back to the real topic here, as for now, it is expected that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will resume production in January. Disney has not adjusted its release date, which is still planned to be November 11, 2022.
Check back for any updates on this project as they arrive!
