'Black Panther' Fans Want Letitia Wright Fired From The Sequel For Her Anti-Vax Views

The much-awaited sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is in the works and is set to be released in mid-2022. After the death of Chadwick Boseman, Disney stated they would not be hiring another actor to fill his role. They would instead focus on other characters in the Black Panther universe. This would mean the other actors, including Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya, Florence Kasumba, and Danai Gurira will be reprising their roles.

They must carry the legacy Boseman has left behind as T’Challa, the king of Wakanda, a fictional, highly advanced country in Africa. 

The film was praised for its smart and strong female characters, especially Shuri, sister of T'Challa. She is considered to be the smartest character in the MCU. So when the actor playing her, Letitia Wright, shared anti-vax propaganda, a video that was questioning the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, to her Twitter. Fans thought Wright was doing a disservice to the character of Shuri and were rightfully furious. After facing backlash, she deleted the tweet and explained herself by saying: "My intention was not to hurt anyone, my ONLY intention of posting the video was it raised my concerns with what the vaccine contains and what we are putting in our bodies…Nothing else." She then even deleted her Twitter account.

People went from demanding Shuri be T'Challa's successor to demanding Wright be removed from the film. But that is probably not going to happen, even though Disney has in the past fired actors for their damaging opinions shared on their social media accounts. Firstly, even though Wright's opinions were problematic and dangerous, deleting the tweet and her account was considered damage control in its own right. Besides, the shoot for the film already began earlier this year and there is no indication that Wright will be let go from her role. She is after all in the front and center in the new movie. Disney purportedly did not address the matter and allowed it to blow over. And they almost succeeded as well.

People have once again been expressing their displeasure with an anti-vaxxer reprising her role. Especially after reports of her continuing her anti-vax stance on the sets of the Wakanda Forever was reported by The Hollywood Reporter. This has reignited the debate for her dismissal from the Black Panther franchise. Some argue that there is a need to separate the art from the artist. But with Wright stepping in to be the next Black Panther, the influence and responsibility she has as a public figure, as an anti-vaxxer at that, is damaging and dangerous. 

On the bright side, there will reportedly be a new mandate making vaccination mandatory on the shoot sets. Disney, in particular, will have a new sticker system starting in mid-October, for all new productions, that will require visible proof of COVID-19 vaccination status. Those who are fully vaccinated will have a wristband. Those who are not, will not. Many more production houses are carrying out the same rules now.