Marvel’s Black Panther 2, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, will officially go on a production hiatus. According to Deadline, the delay will last into next year with a planned restart date set for January. The delay comes after reports surfaced that Letitia Wright was injured while filming in August. Wright’s injuries include a shoulder fracture and a concussion, both of which are serious matters. The cast and crew were alerted to the production pause via a note from Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, and Nate Moore.
Many Marvel fans are under the impression that Wright’s character Shuri will take center stage for the Black Panther sequel. If this is in fact true, it certainly explains why it would be difficult to continue filming without her. For the time being, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still scheduled to prowl into theaters on November 11, 2022, but all of that can change if production delays continue into the new year. Sources close to the film say that Wright had sent a personal video message to the cast and crew to thank them for their support during this difficult time.
It remains to be seen how Chadwick Boseman’s death will be handled in the Black Panther sequel, but director Ryan Coogler told THR that moving forward is exactly what Boseman would have wanted.
“You’ve got to keep going when you lose loved ones. I know Chad wouldn’t have wanted us to stop. He was somebody who was so about the collective. Black Panther, that was his movie. He was hired to play that role before anybody else was even thought of before I was hired before any of the actresses were hired. On that set, he was all about everybody else. Even though he was going through what he was going through, he was checking in on them, making sure they were good. If we cut his coverage, he would stick around and read lines off-camera [to help other actors with their performances]. So it would be harder for me to stop. Truthfully. I’d feel him yelling at me, like, ‘What are you doing?’ So you keep going.”
You can read the note in its entirety below:
As we wind down for the holidays, we wanted to send a note of thanks and appreciation for the hard work of our entire cast and crew, as well as an update on timing. First and foremost, this project is exceptional and something we know audiences are eager to see. We could not be any more excited to complete this film and share it with the world next year. Thank you for everything you’ve done to get us to this place.
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 her family.
We’ve adjusted our production schedule so she has the time she needs to heal, but there’s only so much we can do without Shuri! We also want to thank Letitia for everything she’s doing to get back to the set – we know how much she loves this role, how tough it’s been for her to be away, and how hard she’s working to recover as quickly as she safely can. We are eagerly awaiting her return and we know we will all come back stronger together.
Please be on the lookout for more information on your specific return-to-work date. As of now, we’re on schedule to resume filming – with Letitia – in January 2022. We are all focused on finishing the movie with excellence, honoring the memory of our dear brother Chadwick in the process. We are thrilled to share Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with the world, confident that the challenges that we have overcome together as a team will make the film even more impactful. Please take care of yourselves and enjoy the holidays.
-Kevin, Louis & Nate
Stay tuned here to find out more about the status of Black Panther 2 production and when everyone is ready to get back to it!