Letitia Wright didn't fully connect with Shuri's arc in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever until reshoots

“It was a scene between myself and Namor that we were fleshing out a little bit more, the ways in which Shuri’s confidence rose to the occasion: ‘I belong to one of the most powerful nations in the world… so we should settle this in a peaceful manner,’” Wright says. “It shows her growth and the way she was reflecting on the way her brother did everything, the way he carried himself. Watching and observing my brother and the way he carried his role as T’Challa—I [realized] I have what it takes as an artist, as an actress, to go to places people probably didn’t think I could with this character.”

This realization didn’t click for the Small Axe actor until the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was in reshoots, following a challenging round of principle photography marked by the cast and crew’s even fresher grief and production delays.

“Hey man, it took me a while!” she continues. “I feel like I’m on a transformative journey and I’m happy I got to represent Shuri, to be a vessel for Shuri to process some pain, because that helped me as well. And I feel like I’m growing as a woman as well; I’m definitely tapping into that level of maturity I need for the next section of my life, really. So all in, it’s been a beautiful experience and I am much stronger.”

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in theaters now. According to a recent promo video, it won’t be hitting Disney+ until next year.