by Producer Nate Moore of Marvel Studios provided further information on the injuries Letitia Wright sustained while filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Beyond the devastating loss of lead actor Chadwick Boseman in August 2020, Black Panther 2 emerged as one of the most difficult difficulties in the long history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Shuri star Letitia Wright got a rather significant injury while executing a stunt during outside filming in November 2021, which then caused further problems and criticism surrounding the actress. This came after many previous COVID-19-related delays.
In Septemreallyber 2022, Wright made a statement about the injury, saying that she “came away proud in the face of adversity” while enduring the discomfort and going through the healing process.
One of Marvel’s top producers has now provided more insight into how he handled the news, noting how tough it was to have one of his top performers placed in such a challenging circumstance.
Reflections on Letitia Wright’s Injury from a Marvel Producer
Nate Moore, VP of Production & Development at Marvel Studios, reflected on the challenges he had while working on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever when star Letitia Wright fell ill. Moore was speaking at a roundtable discussion organised by The Hollywood Reporter.
When asked about his scariest work-related experience, he readily said that Letitia Wright’s injury during a Boston, Massachusetts, shoot was the most terrifying one. After the injury, Moore “received a call in the middle of the night from the ambulance,” which caused him to worry a great deal about Wright and the movie while also feeling “guilty for having her in that position” initially:
“Look, I mean, it’s no secret that Panther was a tough one to get to screen, but the scariest moment was actually when Tish (Letitia Wright) got injured. So we were shooting some second unit work, some stunt work in Boston, and actually, the full crew was still in Atlanta. So I got a call in the middle of the night from the ambulance. And that is terrifying, because it’s not just about the movie at that point, now about the person, and a person I’ve known for years. And as a producer, you feel responsible for everybody in your crew, so you feel responsible for having her in that position in the first place.”
The hardest aspect of the event was “figuring out how to get Tish’s mind straight” afterwards, making sure she received all the support she required to return on set and feel at ease. After that, Moore praised Wright for her efforts in recovering from the harm and for putting on “a tremendous performance when she was able to get back” to full strength:
“And picking up the pieces and figuring out the schedule was almost the easier part than figuring out how to get Tish’s head right and to get her the help that she needed, both physically and mentally, because that was a huge traumatic thing for her to go through. And to make her comfortable to come back and perform at the level that she was performing, you don’t know if you’re gonna come back from that, to be quite honest, but she did. I mean, she’s such a trooper and gave a fantastic performance when she was able to get back, but as a moment, there was nothing scarier than getting that phone call.”
The concern about Letitia Wright’s injury tested the Marvel team.
Letitia Wright was the subject of criticism involving more than just her injuries, but Nate Moore clarified how severe the circumstances were when the actress was harmed while doing stunt work in Boston. Wright’s accident only made it more difficult for Marvel Studios to finish filming the sequel mainly without its star actor, Shuri, who finally took over the Black Panther role from her deceased brother T’Challa on screen.
Due to Wright’s injuries, her coworkers were more worried about her well-being than the progress of the film, which further demonstrates the ties and affection that everyone at Marvel Studios has developed over the years.
Letitia Wright is now positioned for a longer future as the Black Panther thanks to the Marvel team’s success in finishing Black Panther 2 in time for the film’s November release. As the Multiverse Saga progresses, she is already expected to have a significant role in 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, enabling her to engage with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on a far larger scale.
On February 1, Disney+ will start streaming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
