ICYMI: It was reported in August of 2021 that Letitia, who stars in the film as Shuri, Princess of Wakanda, had sustained injuries while attempting a stunt for the movie.
According to Variety, she was on a “biscuit rig" — a drivable platform — shooting a motorcycle chase sequence when the rig reportedly “clipped a median and sheared the bike off," sending it tumbling with Letitia still on it.
Although she reportedly only sustained minor injuries from the accident, Letitia says she was left traumatized. “I’m still processing it,” she told Variety. “I’m still working through it in therapy. It was really traumatic.”
Director Ryan Coogler recalled getting the call that Letitia had been hurt, describing it as the "worst thing in the world." “It was about how you can imagine,” he said. “I mean, I love these actors. That’s me and Chad[wick Boseman]’s little sister. Imagine getting that call that your little sister’s hurt. It’s the fucking worst thing in the world.”
Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, added that it was even more "horrifying" because they had just gone through a tragedy after losing the film's original star, Chadwick Boseman. “It was horrifying on any production happening to anybody,” Kevin shared. “It was particularly harsh on this production that was already, uh….emotionally strained.”
Ultimately, filming ended up halting in November of 2021 so Letitia could recover, before starting back up the following January. Letitia said that when she returned to work, she was still experiencing post-concussion syndrome, but with the support of her team, she was ultimately able to complete the film.
“I had great, great, great medical support, great patience on set,” she said. “I’m just extremely proud of myself. I’m extremely proud of Ryan, of the team, for just the resilience — overcoming adversities every step of the way. When I finished filming, I cried like a little baby.”
You can see Letitia in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever when it hits theaters Nov. 11.
