10 Actors Who Will Definitely Ruin Upcoming Movies
6. Letitia Wright - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Production on the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was always going to be challenging following the untimely death of Chadwick Boseman last year, and while the film has been mounted as a tribute to Boseman's cinematic legacy, recent developments suggest that effort is being undermined by its new star.
It's been damn-near confirmed that T'Challa's sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) will take up the Black Panther mantle in the sequel, which while a natural decision in pure narrative terms has resulted in a significant fan backlash online.
Last year, Wright was criticised for her vaccine-skeptical views during the pandemic, and despite quitting social media following the fallout - as well as splitting from her U.S. PR reps - it more recently emerged that Wright, who reportedly isn't vaccinated, has allegedly continued to state her views on the set of the Black Panther sequel.
Production was recently shut down to accommodate Wright's recovery from injuries, but due to the CDC changing rules on non-U.S. citizens travelling to the country, Wright's refusal to vaccinate could cause major logistical problems for the production moving forward.
The ultimate point, though, is that whether or not production resumes smoothly, her conduct doesn't suggest her to be someone who fans are going to embrace as picking up the baton of Boseman's legacy.
Actors aren't obliged to match the virtuousness of their movie roles off-screen of course, but given that Marvel superheroes are beacons of inspiration to millions, it's an incredibly bad look for Wright to be so staunchly against vaccines.
The fan blowback has been considerable to the point that many have called for Shuri to be recast, and it's fair to say that if Marvel isn't able to smooth over its star's perception among fans, it could end up having a major impact on the film's box office performance.
A lot can change in the near-year before its release, but right now things are looking incredibly dicey, and it all comes down to Wright.