Both the production of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Letitia Wright are going on hiatus for some not minor and very painful reasons.

Letitia Wright Blues

"Black Panther" poster featuring Letitia Wright as Shuri.
It’ll be a while longer before we can see her in action.

Deadline previously reported that Letitia Wright suffered “minor injuries” during shooting for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever back in August 2021? Well, as it turns out, those injuries weren’t so minor. The latest news also from Deadline says that Wright’s injuries were so severe that production of the sequel to Black Panther has been put on hiatus for the remainder of 2021. And it’s no wonder. The report gave more details about her injury, which include a fractured shoulder and a concussion. Neither of which are even remotely like minor injuries. So, it’s no wonder she’s taking a break.

Kevin Feige himself sent a note to the cast and crew explaining what’d happened to Letitia Wright. Here’s an excerpt from that note:

“Unfortunately, we’ve not gotten here without a few setbacks. Running a production of this scale in the midst of a pandemic is not an easy task, and you have remained diligent and professional throughout. In addition, as you are all aware, Letitia had a frightening accident on our set during a stunt back in August. It was a reminder of the importance of safety at all times in our work, which we know you understand and are committed to. What we had initially thought were minor injuries turned out to be much more serious with Letitia suffering a critical shoulder fracture, and a concussion with severe side effects. It has been a painful process and Letitia has been home recovering with her doctors and the support of family.”

Black Panther: Hiatus (Not) Forever?

Even heroes need a break after an injury like that.

As for how Letitia Wright’s injuries affect the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Disney has already moved the release date from July 8, 2022, to November 11, 2022. They still seem determined to hold onto the 2022 release schedule. This explains why Kevin Feige, at the end of his note, claims that they’re on schedule to resume filming with Letitia Wright in January 2022. It’s not like they can exactly continue filming without the star of the show.

To me, this seems to be an optimistic date, especially with how serious those injuries are. But, as long as Letitia Wright is okay with it, I guess it’s fine? Let’s hope she recovers well from her injuries quickly with no complications.

Source: Deadline, Deadline