'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' wrapped production earlier this year, shooting the sequel without the late star of the 'Black Panther' franchise.
Letitia Wright says that she and the cast paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman by "working hard" on set every day on the next Marvel Cinematic Universe release.
Wright, who plays Shuri in the comic book-inspired films, spoke about how she and the rest of the cast honoured their late friend and colleague. Boseman played Black Panther/T'Challa in four MCU productions before sadly passing away in 2020 from his silent battle with colon cancer.
Speaking with Variety while at the Cannes Film Festival this weekend, Wright had this to say of the cast's dedication to the late actor: "We honoured him by committing ourselves to this story that he started, the legacy he started with this franchise. And we just committed every day to working hard no matter what circumstances we faced. And we faced a lot of circumstances!
"A lot of difficult situations, but we came together as a team and we poured everything into this movie, so I'm excited for you to see it."
Letitia Wright worked very closely with Chadwick Boseman on the MCU films, having starred opposite the famed actor for three entries as his tech-smart younger sister. After his sudden death, she shared a heartfelt eulogy, saying: "An angel on earth departed. A soul so beautiful, when you walked into a room, there was calm. You always moved with grace and ease.
"Every time I saw you, the world would be a better place."
'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' will be the third cinematic Marvel release this year, due out in cinemas this November. Plot details about the upcoming action film are still pretty thin on the ground, but one thing we know is that Chadwick Boseman will not be digitally inserted into the film.
Rumours suggest that the movie is likely going to dive deep into an Atlantis-inspired storyline, given that both Wakanda and Atlantis are hidden civilisations. We could see a clash between the empires, as Marvel supervillain Namor is believed to be the main antagonist. Another unconfirmed rumour is that Doctor Doom from 'The Fantastic Four' franchise will make an appearance.
Director Ryan Coogler returns to helm the film, which finished shooting in March of this year. Joining Wright in the cast will be returning faces Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett and Martin Freeman. Michaela Coel has joined the cast in an unspecified role, while Dominique Thorne will play new superhero Riri Williams AKA Ironheart.
'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' has a November 11 release date.
