Black Panther star Letitia Wright was hospitalized in August after an accident on the set of the new film, and Marvel now says her injuries were "much more serious" than initially thought.
Marvel executives on Friday sent a note to the cast and crew of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever announcing production will go on hiatus because Wright is still recovering from injuries sustained in a "frightening accident" on set, and "there's only so much we can do without" her, Deadline reported.
"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," Marvel Studios executives Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Nate Moore said. "It has been a painful process and Letitia has been home recovering with her doctors and the support of family."
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When Wright's accident was announced in August, a Disney spokesperson said she "sustained minor injuries" while filming a stunt. But earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter said the sequel would soon have to shut down production, as Wright had been recovering since September and there was no more footage that could be filmed without her on set. Wright plays Shuri, the sister of Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, and may have a larger role in Wakanda Forever after Boseman's death. The Marvel executives in their Friday note called the accident a "reminder of the importance of safety at all times in our work."
This comes after The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Wright is not vaccinated against COVID-19, which could make it difficult for her to get to the Atlanta set from London, where she has been recovering, given CDC rules requiring proof of vaccination for non-citizens entering the United States. The Friday note, though, said that "as of now, we're on schedule to resume filming — with Letitia — in January 2022." The film is currently scheduled to debut in November 2022.
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