Letitia Wright has revealed how the role of Shuri and her evolution into becoming the Black Panther was always planned and that the MCU would have had two Black Panthers.
One of the most important characters in the MCU at the moment is the Black Panther. And while many assumed that the plan was for Boseman to carry on the Black Panther mantle solo, Letitia Wright – who plays Shuri, the new Black Panther in Wakanda Forever, has revealed that the initial idea was for both characters to eventually carry on the mantle together.
During an interview with the Empire Movie Podcast, Wright explained that Shuri was always going to become the Black Panther.
“It was bittersweet. Shuri was always gonna do it, but it was gonna be done in a different way where her brother was gonna be alongside her, really explore that, like the comic books, the ways in which T’Challa and Shuri would be Black Panther alongside each other and try to figure out how to defend their nation.”
Wright goes on in the interview to comment on the weight of this change for herself and for the character of Shuri. “But unfortunately, that’s not how it panned out… I knew the responsibility, I knew the weight of it, but it was just bittersweet, something I struggled with a lot. But [I’m] extremely proud of myself, had great support.”
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However, the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman meant Marvel changed the live-action narrative. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – the sequel to the original film – released in 2022 and has been a massive box office hit. The sequel deals with the death of King T’Challa. The death of the character is a consequence of the tragic passing of actor Chadwick Boseman.
With the Black Panther universe still expanding, time will tell if a new version of an MCU with two Black Panthers does end up happening.
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