In November it was reported that filming for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was temporarily halted until early 2022 as a result of Letitia Wright’s on-set injury. A new letter from Kevin Feige to the cast and crew reveals Wright’s on-set injury was more severe than initially believed.
Deadline acquired a note sent to the cast and crew of Black Panther 2 from Marvel’s Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, and Nate Moore. The three addressed the production halt and Wright’s injury and revealed Wright suffered a “critical shoulder fracture, and a concussion with severe side effects.”
Wright was reportedly injured in an incident involving a stunt rig. In the note from the Marvel producers, the injuries were originally believed to be minor but have proven to be much more serious. “It has been a painful process and Letitia has been home recovering with her doctors and the support of family.”
Wright and the team are set to resume filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in January 2022. Sources say Wright also sent a video message to the cast and crew thanking them for their support.
Right before the production pause, the crew continued to film scenes in Atlanta, Georgia that didn’t require Wright’s presence. But with Wright’s Shuri set to take a bigger role in the sequel, filming has become impossible to continue without her.
The production pause led Marvel to move Black Panther 2’s release date from July 8 to November 11 and shift a few other Marvel titles around for 2022 as well. Check out IGN’s full schedule of upcoming Marvel shows and movies here.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.