'Black Panther' Star Letitia Wright Recalls 'Traumatic' On-Set Injury: 'Still Working Through It'

By Ashley Turner

Letitia Wright revealed that she is still undergoing therapy following a "traumatic" accident she suffered on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. An accident involving a motorcycle while filming in Boston sent the actor to the hospital in late August 2021 with injuries that included a fractured shoulder and a concussion. During a chase sequence, Wright rode a motorcycle on a "biscuit rig," which allowed the camera to capture her in a real-world environment. Producer Nate Moore told Variety the rig "clipped a median" and sheared Wright's bike off, which tumbled with her on it.

"I'm still processing it," Wright said about the accident as part of Variety's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cover story. "I'm still working through it in therapy. It was really traumatic." Neither Moore nor director Ryan Coogler was on the Boston set since Wright was with the film's second unit crew when the accident happened. Coogler had to be notified of Wright's accident by phone while he was back in Atlanta with Moore on the primary set of Wakanda Forever. Regarding the call, Cooger said, "It was about how you can imagine." "I mean, I love these actors. That's me and Chad's little sister. Imagine getting that call that your little sister's hurt. It's the f— worst thing in the world."

Coogler and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige visited Wright in the hospital in Boston. "It was horrifying on any production happening to anybody," Feige said. "It was particularly harsh on this production that was already, uh….emotionally strained." As Feige stated, Wright's injury was just the latest development in Wakanda Forever's setbacks. The $250 million Marvel blockbuster was rebuilt after the death of original Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman. Despite her injuries, Wright vowed to finish the film in memory of her late co-star.

"I just remember wanting to finish my film, man," Wright said about Feige and Coogler's hospital visit. "I think that was one of the first things I said to Ryan. And he was like, 'Tish, you need to recover.'" To recuperate, Wright returned home to London from Boston. Filming on Wakanda Forever was halted in November 2021 to allow her more time to recover. The production resumed in January 2022. While filming resumed, Wright persevered through post-concussion syndrome with the help of the cast and crew. "I had great, great, great medical support, great patience on set," Wright said. "I'm just extremely proud of myself. I'm extremely proud of Ryan, of the team, for just the resilience — overcoming adversities every step of the way. When I finished filming, I cried like a little baby." Disney's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in theaters nationwide on Nov. 11.

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