'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Shuts Down Production Over Letitia Wright Injury

The Black Panther sequel was forced to shut down production while star Letitia Wright recovers from a serious injury she suffered in late August. Marvel Studios initially thought the injury would not hurt the film's schedule, but sources told The Hollywood Reporter Friday that the severity of the injury has forced a delay. Wright stars as Shuri, who became the lead character in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever following actor Chadwick Boseman's death from cancer in August 2020.

In late August, Wright was hurt while filming a stunt in Boston for Wakanda Forever. "Letitia Wright sustained minor injuries today while filming a stunt for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She is currently receiving care in a local hospital and is expected to be released soon," Disney told THR at the time. After she was released from the hospital, Wright flew to London to recover and has been there ever since.

Over the last two months, Wakanda Forever shot scenes without Wright in Atlanta. However, sources told THR that director Ryan Coogler has almost finished shooting all scenes without her. Production was halted to "reconfigure the shoot" so cameras can roll again in early 2022. The shutdown will start during the week of Thanksgiving.

"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," a representative for Wright told THR. "Letitia kindly asks that you keep her in your prayers."

Wright's character Shuri was introduced in Black Panther, which was a huge success for Marvel Studios, grossing $1.3 billion worldwide. It became the first Marvel movie to win Oscars, earning wins for Original Score, Costume Design, and Production Design. The movie was also nominated for Best Picture. Boseman starred as the title character. He died in August 2020 following a private battle with colon cancer. Instead of completely scrapping plans for a sequel, Coogler and Marvel decided to make a movie following the exploits of T'Challa's sister, Shuri. The new movie will also introduce Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, an inventor who becomes Ironheart.

Wakanda Forever was originally scheduled for release on July 8, 2022, but was pushed back to Nov. 11, 2022 last month. Sources told THR the production delay is not expected to impact the new release date. The next Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Eternals, is now in theaters. Spider-Man: No Way Home opens on Dec. 17, while Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens on May 6, 2022 and Thor: Love and Thunder is scheduled for July 8, 2022.