Letitia Wright Speaks On Critical Injury Suffered On Set Of 'Black Panther 2'

Actress Letitia Wright has spoken candidly about her physical challenges while filming "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

The actress fractured her shoulder and other injuries in August 2020 while performing a series of stunt sequences for the film. After being absent for several months, she returned to the set to continue playing her upgraded role as the lead protagonist of the upcoming superhero thriller.

Wright recently revealed that, besides her injuries, she had to overcome various physical challenges throughout the production. In the end, she overcame them all and is extremely proud of her work in portraying her character in the movie.

Read on to learn more.

Speaking with the New York Times, Wright recounted her experience on set when she made a comeback from an injury she suffered while filming the upcoming superhero sequel. She shared that in the end, she was able to offer her role everything as if she had never taken a break.

Wright said, "My experience was different. There were a lot of physical challenges that I faced as well, but alongside that I came away really proud that in the face of adversity, I could bounce back and give that extra life and strength to my character. 

The actress, who was born in Guyana, continued by describing the difficulty of her healing process but that she ultimately triumphed. Regarding the movie, Wright wishes viewers would feel the effort she and her coworkers put into making it when it debuts on the big screen.

She continued, "The journey wasn't pain-free, but you can stand on top of the mountain and say you did it. Hopefully, that transfers to the film, and people walk away feeling ecstatic and empowered because that's definitely how we feel after making it."

While Wright initially played the seemingly minor role of Shuri, sister to King T'Challa in "Black Panther," her return to star in the sequel points to her character taking up the mantle of the series' eponymous hero. 

Chadwick Boseman, who played the King T'Challa – the ruler of the fictional Wakanda, lost his life to colon cancer in 2020, and in respect for his work, the showrunners chose not to recast his character for "Black Panther 2."

Buoyed by the need to honor her friend and former colleague, Wright worked hard to portray her character for the sequel. However, while performing a stunt-heavy sequence in August 2021, she fractured her shoulder and was forced to stop acting for a while.

Although filming continued without her, it was later shut down as the production team ran out of sequences that could be shot without her.

In addition to Wright's accident, "Black Panther 2" experienced numerous production hurdles. Despite these difficulties, the sequel is hyped to be a fitting follow-up to "Black Panther" and pay tribute to Boseman's impact as the demised leader of Wakanda.

Speaking with Variety earlier in the year, Wright shared that the sequel's cast was motivated to truly honor Boseman when production began. Their determination to deliver the best performance in memory of Boseman played a massive factor in helping them overcome the challenges they had during filming.

"We honored him by committing ourselves to this story that he started, the legacy he started with this franchise," the actress told the publication. "And we just committed every day to working hard no matter what circumstances we faced. And we faced a lot of circumstances! A lot of difficult situations, but we came together as a team, and we poured everything into this movie, so I'm excited for you to see it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlOB3UALvrQ&t=1s

Ahead of the film's debut in November 2022, Marvel recently released the official trailer for the film. The fictional nation of Wakanda was once more introduced to fans, and they also got a sneak peek at the upcoming storyline the showrunners have planned.

Wright's Shuri and other characters like Nakia(Lupita Nyong'o), Okoye(Danai Gurira), and Queen Ramonda(Angela Bassett) were featured in the teaser. It also introduced the new character of Namor (Tenoch Huerta) – the leader of an ancient civilization of underwater dwelling people, and will star UFC champion Kamaru Usman in an undisclosed role.

 Even while the teaser had a lot of action and some emotionally charged sequences, it never overdid it. Fans will simply have to wait to see how one of Marvel's most recognized superhero films will take on a fresh direction, combining new character debuts and returning performers.