Black Panther sequel shuts down production because of Letitia Wright injury

The sequel to the highly anticipated Black Panther movie has been temporarily shut down as a result of the injuries Letitia Wright sustained in a stunt rig accident during shooting in August, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Marvel Studios had initially said Wright’s injury wouldn’t have any implication on the movie’s film schedule. The British-Guyanese actress was reportedly cast as the lead actor for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever following the death of Chadwick Boseman.

Wright, who plays Shuri – the brother of King T’Challa (Boseman) – has been recuperating in London following the accident which happened in Boston. The Ryan Coogler-directed film had been primarily shooting in Atlanta prior to her injury. And the shutdown is reportedly anticipated to start from the week of Thanksgiving. But production is expected to commence from early 2022.

“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,” Wright’s representative told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “Letitia kindly asks that you keep her in your prayers.”

The recent announcement comes after Marvel announced the release date of the highly-anticipated sequel had been pushed back, Face2Face Africa reported in October. The announcement of the new dates came prior to the world premiere of Marvel’s Eternals.

Per the reshuffling, the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been pushed to November 11, 2022. The sequel was initially set to open in theatres on July 8, 2022.

The other Marvel movies that had their release dates changed include Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (from March 25, 2022, to May 6, 2022), Thor: Love and Thunder (from May 6, 2022, to July 8, 2022), The Marvels (from November 11, 2022, to February 17, 2023). Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has also been pushed to July 28, 2023.

Studio insiders who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter said the reshuffling mainly came as a result of several production delays and also deciding on the best release dates for movies as the industry revives from the pandemic.