Marvel Studios is shutting down production on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever indefinitely due to Letitia Wright's on-set injury. The upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel directed by Ryan Coogler has undergone plenty of changes since it was first announced. Chadwick Boseman's tragic passing in 2020 meant reshaping Black Panther 2 without T'Challa. This has left fans to speculate about which character could possibly take on the Black Panther mantle in the MCU, with Letitia Wright's Shuri the most likely candidate based on the comics.
The possibly bigger role for Letitia Wright has meant that she'd be a necessary part of a production, even if Okoye (Dania Gurira), M'Baku (Winston Duke), Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), and others take on more prominent roles themselves. However, it was revealed in August that Letitia Wright sustained a minor injury on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She left the production at this time to recover and Coogler continued filming what he could without her. It was believed that she would return before too long, but now it's been revealed that this hasn't happened and Black Panther 2 has to stop filming as a result.
According to THR, Disney and Marvel Studios have decided to shut down Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's production as they wait for Letitia Wright to fully recover from her injury. The report notes that Coogler has shot all he can without Wright's Shuri for the last two months but now needs the star. The shutdown for Black Panther 2 will reportedly last the rest of 2021 as Coogler and his team reconfigure the shoot to start again in early 2022. Letitia Wright's representatives shared the following statement about the news with THR:
Letitia has been recovering in London since September from injuries sustained on the set of Black Panther 2 and is looking forward to returning to work early 2022. Letitia kindly asks that you keep her in your prayers.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's production shutdown could help explain Marvel Studios' recent Phase 4 delays. The sequel was previously set to hit theaters in July 2022, but it has since been pushed to November 2022. That four-month delay could help make up for the upcoming shutdown and any time lost on post-production due to filming being extended. Of course, Coogler and his team will presumably still work on Black Panther 2 during the production shutdown, as they could begin combing through dailies and assembling a very rough edit with what has been shot.
Marvel shutting down Black Panther 2's production as Letitia Wright's injury heals is also a potentially strong indicator that she is indeed the MCU's next Black Panther. Although the actress has been the subject of some controversy due to COVID-19, Shuri was previously a fan-favorite character and primed for a bigger MCU role. That could include becoming T'Challa's successor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. If so, that would explain why the shutdown is occurring, as the sequel can't keep going without its main character.
Source: THR
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