Ryan Coogler must be like, “Please don’t make me have to rewrite Black Panther 2 again!”
Twitter blew up at Black Panther star Letitia Wright today, with her name trending all over the place, for sharing an anti-vaccine video while also showing support for those who refuse to get vaccinated for the coronavirus. While her opinions are obviously her own and she’s welcome to them, the video she shared has long debunked and disputed information, which many see as dangerous during, y’know, a friggin’ pandemic. It doesn’t help that the guy in the video, minister Arayomi, admits that he “doesn’t understand vaccines” and is “skeptical of them.” Hardly the most sound of scientific minds at work here.
It’s also worth noting that the video also includes transphobic slurs and dubious climate science, so it’s just all around ignorant as shit and unbefitting of Shuri’s brilliance.
After being called out for the video, Wright then proceeded to respond to the overwhelming number of responders. It’s never good when your @s blow up more than your retweets, just sayin’. She also, weirdly, began liking posts asking for Black Panther 2 to be canceled or for her to be fired. Perhaps this was done in jest because obviously that won’t happen, but still, why court the controversy in the first place?
if you don’t conform to popular opinions. but ask questions and think for yourself….you get cancelled ?
— Letitia Wright (@letitiawright) December 4, 2020
Twitter, as expected, ate her ass up for this shit.
i thought Shuri was the smartest character in the MCU ? https://t.co/7dkAGCEsic
— Geek Man #SaveDaredevil (@Geek_Mann_) December 4, 2020
shuri originally cured bucky with essential oils but marvel removed that scene
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) December 4, 2020
The fact that someone who plays a scientist/doctor in one of the highest grossing films of all time is an anti-vaxxer is camp!! https://t.co/NWfGSgzdsU
— Phillip (@MajorPhilebrity) December 4, 2020
With the passing of Chadwick Boseman, Wright is in position to see her place in the MCU grow significantly. Many have speculated that Shuri, one of the smartest, if not the smartest, people on the planet will take over as the costumed defender of Wakanda. Perhaps that’ll happen, perhaps not. We’ll just have to wait and see. But you can bet that irony won’t be lost on Marvel/Disney that one of their brightest heroes is played by someone that a lot of fans now see as spreading misinformation that could kill people.
My guess is this will blow over at some point. Shuri won’t be recast with Keke Palmer or something, and Ryan Coogler won’t have to hit “Delete” on his Black Panther 2 script. But what if Disney demands that all of its actors get vaccinated before they can be allowed on set? What happens then?
