While the past two years for Letitia Wright mounted up to piles of controversies that seem to plague her even to date, it can be ascertained that the young actress does harbor a keen fondness when it comes to the Black Panther narrative. When the first film, an ever-so-iconic Chadwick Boseman-starrer released for public viewing, fans were haunted by the breathtaking visuals, the strong, captivating, and compelling characters, and of course, the magnificent story it had to tell.
Unfortunately, tragedy soon struck the world as lead star Chadwick Boseman met his demise in 2020. Heartbroken fans, although the least of their concerns at that moment, wondered about the question mark that loomed over the premise of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Now, with the mantle of the superhero still vacant, with many speculations and rumors alluding to various names as potential occupants, Letitia Wright discussed the possibilities of her character, Shuri, becoming the next Black Panther and the emotional journey she’s set to undertake in the upcoming film.
How Shuri’s Black Panther 2 Journey Impacted Letitia Wright
In a recent interview with Empire, the young MCU star opened up about her filming experiences on the Black Panther 2 set and how the sentimental expedition taken by her tech-savvy character, Shuri, profoundly allowed Letitia Wright to vicariously live through her. The film, which is set to pay a heartfelt tribute to both Boseman and T’Challa, allowed Wright to have experiences that “mirrored” that of Shuri within the film.
According to the 28-year-old talent, the journey of her remarkable character, who started as one of the best-supporting characters in the first film and will see a profound growth in the second one, permitted Wright to “to grieve, to cry, to laugh, and to gain strength,” in a manner that she possibly couldn’t fathom of having.
Furthermore, The Silent Twins alum had the following to express how she only had two options to choose from, either crumbling under the pressure of overwhelming sentiments or get up and keep a headstrong attitude:
“Trials and tribulations make you who you are. You either fold or you get up and go again. I feel like Shuri kept looking at me every day, asking me if I was gonna fold or go again. And I just kept going until healing started to happen for me.”
Therefore, from such statements, we can elucidate how tough matters were during the filming process. Fortunately for Letitia Wright, she drew her inspiration from the character she has beautifully embodied for a few years now.
The Plausibility Of Shuri Becoming the Next Black Panther
While rumors have always pointed to Shuri being the most likely candidate to take on the mantle of her brother, there are other contenders to account for. Looking back to the 2018 film, there were several strong, formidable, dynamic characters like the Lupita Nyong’o-portrayed Nakia and Danai Gurira’s Okoye to name a few. When Wright was asked whether or not she sees the possibility of her character being the one to carry on T’Challa’s legacy, the actress replied, “That’s a tricky question to answer.”
Furthermore, she detailed how a few years back, when Black Panther was being made, she did entertain such notions. The idea of Shuri being Black Panther did cross her mind and the actress even had a discussion about it with director Ryan Coogler and lead actor Chadwick Boseman.
Following is what she had to say about the matter:
“I had a chat about it with Ryan and Chad when we were making Black Panther, and we touched on it briefly. When I realized I was playing Shuri, it was something that I really looked forward to.”
The answer, while certainly vague, does raise several questions. It would be intriguing to witness what exactly Letitia Wright “looked forward to” while embodying Shuri — granted, of course, whatever it is has not happened already.
For now, nothing remains confirmed. The fans will have to keep relying on theories, reports and rumors, speculations, and that one Wakanda Forever Lego Set that accidentally alluded to Wright’s character taking on the Black Panther moniker.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is slated for an 11 November 2022 release.
Source: Empire
