Letitia Wright Opens Up About Handling Controversy Following Anti-Vax Stance And ‘Black Panther 2’ – The Blast

“Black Panther” star Letitia Wright, who’s currently promoting her new movie, “The Silent Twins,” opened up to Variety about her anti-vax controversy, honoring Chadwick Boseman in “Black Panther 2” and the challenges she faced while shooting the movie.

The outlet caught up with the “Black Panther” star at Kering’s Women in Motion dinner at the Cannes Festival, where she spoke up about all these things. 

While she didn’t address her controversial vaccine stance specifically, she shared what she learned following the media firestorm.

Read on to learn more about what Wright had to say.

‘You Have To Keep Going Strong With What You Believe In’

Variety spoke to Wright at the festival, asking her about her year-long break from social media. This hiatus followed the controversy which occurred after she posted an anti-vaccination video.

The outlet didn’t question her directly about the incident or the explicit anti-vax video she posted. Instead, they asked how she’s been fairing following the incident.

“I’ve learned that in life, you just have to keep going strong with what you believe in, in terms of your talent, in terms of your desire to impact the world with your art.”

She continued, “And that’s exactly what I’m doing and I’m so proud of myself and the movie that’s coming out this year. I’m so proud of it.”

Letitia Wright Was Caught In An Anti-vax Quagmire In 2020

At the beginning of the pandemic, Wright was all in the news after rumors made rounds that she encouraged her co-stars and crew to not vaccinate. However, this caused a stir and branded Wright as an anti-vaxxer.

To make things worse, the actress also posted an anti-vax video from a popular YouTuber known for his transphobia to her Twitter account, along with a caption that read, “if you don’t conform to popular opinions. but ask questions and think for yourself; you get canceled.”

The actress later apologized in a follow-up tweet, claiming that she had no intention of hurting anyone.

“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 concluded, per People.

She Also Teased A ‘Black Panther’ Sequel

For now, not much is known about how “Black Panther 2” will play out; considering the passing of the main character’s actor, Chadwick Boseman, and Marvel’s decision not to recast the role, there’s a lot of speculation on how the movie will play out.

However, according to Wright, the sequel will honor his passing and legacy. In the same interview, Wright, who is rumored to be taking up the role of the Black Panther, expressed excitement about how the sequel pays respect to Boseman and couldn’t wait for fans to see what they had been working on.

“It is an incredible honour for Chadwick Boseman, it’s jam-packed with exciting stuff,” she began. “We honoured him by committing ourselves to the story that he started, the legacy that he started with this franchise,” Wright continued. 

“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.”

The movie’s production initially ground to a halt after Wright suffered an injury on set. She was injured in August after filming a stunt sequence for the “Black Panther” sequel.

“Letitia Wright sustained minor injuries today while filming a stunt for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’” a spokesperson told Variety. “She is currently receiving care in a local hospital and is expected to be released soon.”

In the months that followed Wright’s injury, director Ryan Coogler and his crew were able to film parts of the movie where she wasn’t needed and had to resume shooting in 2022.

A representative for Wright eventually sent a statement regarding her health situation.

“Letitia has been recovering in London since September from injuries sustained on the set of ‘Black Panther 2’ and is looking forward to returning to work early 2022. Letitia kindly asks that you keep her in your prayers.”

The movie’s sequel is currently in post-production and is set to be released in the cinemas on November 11, 2022.

Chadwick Boseman Died In 2020 From Colon Cancer

Boseman, a source of inspiration for both co-workers and fans alike, died from Colon Cancer in 2020.

Unbeknownst to the public, Boseman had been battling the malignancy for four years but kept sealed lips about it, continuing to act in movies and attend shows.

Boseman’s death, however, came as a shock to everyone. This included co-stars, who had no idea that he was dying.

A tribute posted on the actor’s Twitter called him a “true fighter” who persevered “through it all.”