Letitia Wright was not a Black Panther when the franchise kicked off, but with the release of the highly anticipated Marvel film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the 29-year-old actress has finally become a protector of Wakanda. Wright, who has acted in Humans, Black Mirror, and Steven Spielberg’s film Ready Player One, plays the clever, self-made young sister of King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) in Black Panther.
Back in 2020, everyone was shocked to learn that Chadwick Boseman had died of colon cancer. What made it even more devastating was that the actor had been fighting the condition silently for several years, with almost no one knowing that his health was worsening.
Letitia Wright opens up about her first meeting with Chadwick Boseman
In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Letitia Wright recalled her first meeting with the Late actor Chadwick Boseman. It was back during the audition for Black Panther, Wright was shooting for the film, Humans when she got a call and had to fly down to L.A for a test screen for the film. There the Humans actress met director Ryan Coogler and late actor Chadwick Boseman. Wright recalled,
“I went to LA to meet Sir Ryan Cooglar and Chadwick Boseman. I took one look at Chad and said you’re my brother, you’re in this for Life homie and then I did a screen test, and um, here I am.”
On August 28, the Marvel Cinematic Universe actor died. His family disclosed that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016. Everyone was taken aback by this news. As soon as the information emerged, Wright turned to social media to express how saddened she was by his death. “This hurts. Really hurts,” She tweeted first, followed by a lengthy message.
How did Letitia Wright get the role of Shuri in Black Panther?
Nothing will be the same for Letitia Wright after Black Panther. The 25-year-old actress has become the unmistakable face of the comic book character Shuri since the film’s massive triumph in 2018. Wright had a good feeling about her prospects of landing the character of the fierce, super-smart kid she represents brilliantly in the MCU after auditioning for it.
Letitia Wright discussed her life-changing experience. She expressed her optimism in landing the role to her agent, Femi Oguns, who built her institution, the London Identity School of Acting, with the goal of cultivating varied talent. Oguns also represents other rising performers, such as John Boyega from Star Wars and Cynthia Erivo from Bad Times at the El Royale. The actress most likely auditioned among many other young aspirants wanting to be a part of the MCU or simply get a huge break.
When Letitia Wright agreed to play Shuri in Black Panther, it was only the start of the character’s adventure on the big screen. She reprised her role in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which will be directed by Ryan Coogler and is currently ongoing in theatres.
Source: BBC Radio 1
