‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Officially Pauses Production

Marvel Studios has officially begun its production pause for the remainder of the year on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as star Letitia Wright continues to recover from injuries sustained on-set back in August. According to Deadline, a note was sent out to the cast and crew from Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito and Nate Moore letting everyone know the pause has begun.

Here is the official statement from Marvel Studios:

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 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

Read: Scarlett Johansson Reteaming With Kevin Feige For Secret Marvel Project

Wakanda Forever had been filming mostly in Atlanta at Trilth Studios for the last two months. Director Ryan Coogler is said to have shot all footage that his crew is able to without filming Wright’s scenes. The film will return to production in early 2022 just after the holidays. 

Ryan Coogler returns to direct the feature with the core cast from the film also returning, this includes Letitia Wright’s Shuri, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, and Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi. Narcos: Mexico star Tenoch Huerta and Michaela Coel also join the sequel, both their roles are being kept under wraps, but rumors are Huerta is playing Namor, and Coel is playing Madame Slade. Dominique Thorne will also make her debut as the character Riri Williams aka Ironheart.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever recently had its release date from July moved and is now set to hit theaters on November 11, 2022.

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