Interview: Letitia Wright Shares Vulnerability Was Challenging During Filming For ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been picking up crazy steam as we anticipate the release of the sequel to the blockbuster hit. Fans are already chatting on social media about their expectations, hopes, and how the film will honor Chadwick Boseman, who we lost to lung cancer in 2020.
The sequel shows the Wakandan nation facing new enemies, which will shake up the kingdom and shift the dynamic for future films apart of the franchise. In a conversation with BET.com, Letitia Wright shares how the film will elevate the storytelling for the franchise.
“I think the mind of Ryan Coogler is so beautiful that he would allow these two cultures to come together not only be celebrated but to ask those questions buried in our history,” she said.
“Like who are we or what happened to our culture? what happened to the root of who we are? I think that is good soil for this franchise's future because we seem to be taking on many beautiful topics that allow our audience to go deep. So I'm excited about the future.”
The actress pivots in conversation to share with BET.com her most significant challenge while trying to complete the film.
“The challenge was just being vulnerable with what we were feeling and stepping into Wakanda without our King, which is one of the most difficult things we could’ve done,” she expressed.
“As I felt that difficulty, I allowed that to pour into Shuri — when you’re hit with losing someone, the inner circle feels it first before it starts to get to the outer circle. The people who love T’Challa the most would feel it, so I allowed what I felt to pour into Shuri and for us to follow her journey into womanhood.”
As we wrapped our interview, her co-star, Tenoch Huerta, thanked Boseman for allowing himself and Latin Americans to be represented onscreen and, despite not knowing the deceased star, can see through this sequel how “important” his legacy was.
As for Wright, she hopes Boseman is “proud” of the cast and is satisfied to “inspire” the world with the sequel by tapping into the subject matter that can “bring healing.”
Tap your tribe and head to theaters to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in theaters on Friday, November 11th.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity
Ty Cole is a New York-based entertainment reporter and writer for BET.com who covers pop culture, music, and lifestyle. Follow his latest musings on Twitter @IamTyCole.
