Marvel Studios officially released the main cast for its upcoming Black Panther film at CinemaCon on Thursday and King T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, is among those listed to star in the film. Letitia Wright will be playing the role of Shuri in Ryan Coogler’s film. Fans of the comics will know that Shuri was the Panther at one point and is held with high esteem in Wakanda.
BLACK PANTHER cast. #Cinemacon pic.twitter.com/moidWazJbi
— James (@JamesConoway) March 29, 2017
Wright has only been acting since 2011, but already has Doctor Who and now Black Panther on her C.V. and is showing no signs of slowing down. The role of Shuri is sure to push her into the mainstream and could open up ample opportunities for her within the franchise. It wouldn’t be hard for Marvel to have a film down the line featuring a confident Shuri taking over when T’Challa goes missing and the Black Panther is needed most.
Whether or not Marvel opts to go down that road remains to be seen, but the star-studded cast of Black actors and actresses, plus Ryan Coogler being tapped as director and co-writer, likely means that Marvel have big plans for a character that is an icon of the African-American community. Marvel has really pushed for diversity and inclusion in 2017, it’s not hard to imagine the Black Panther being used as a vehicle to discuss these issues. In fact, Marvel Comics has already done so through the print medium by tapping Ta-Nehihi Coates to write the latest installment of the series.
There is no denying the Black Panther is going to be a huge moment for Marvel Studios. Aside from what he means to an entire culture, the Panther is among the greatest heroes in Marvel’s rich and historic lineup. That doesn’t even count the role Wakanda plays in the Marvel Universe and what its beauty would look like on the big screen. I can’t wait for this movie, let us know how you feel in the comment section below.
Marvel’s Black Panther hits theaters on February 16th, 2018.