Actress Letitia Wright, who played Shuri in the first feature and is set as the lead of the sequel, is set to return to filming which is taking place in Atlanta. Wright endured an on-set injury back in August which prohibited her from continuing filming. The actress has also faced backlash on social media for controversial statements related to the pandemic. According to The Hollywood Reporter any issues with Wright, including questions of her vaccination status, have been resolved. The film was supposed to film starting last Monday but according to a report by THR, several performers, including actress Lupita Nyong’o, tested positive for COVID. Shooting is set to continue for the next four weeks barring any additional delays.
Wright was hospitalized in August for the injury in Boston (where filming was then taking place), after which she left for London and has remained as production works around her. In the original film and sequel, Wright stars as Shuri, the sister of Black Panther T’Challa. Ryan Coogler is returning to direct the sequel to the original, which won three Academy Awards and grossed $1.3 billion globally. After Chadwick Boseman’s unexpected death in August 2020, Shuri was elevated to a lead character. Coogler had reportedly shot all footage possible without Wright up to the point production ended before the holidays. (Coogler, back in April, penned an essay about shooting in Georgia amid voting law backlash. He affirmed the film would remain shooting in the state.) “Black Panther 2” has already seen shuffles on the release calendar. Originally set to open on July 8, 2022, the film was pushed to November 11, 2022 back in October. The 2018 original film, based on the comic characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, opened in a February slot, and a year later earned seven Academy Awards including one for Best Picture. It’s regarded as one of the most acclaimed of any Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
