Letitia Wright Reacts to Passing Torch to New Black Panther Star After Just Two Movies

The San Diego Comic Con 2026 Marvel panel was full of major announcements for the MCU, from the confirmation that Ryan Gosling will play Ghost Rider in an upcoming standalone movie to the news that, as many had suspected, Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter will be returning in Avengers: Doomsday. Among the bigger announcements during the panel was also the reveal that Black Panther 3 has a 2028 release date and has cast a new actor in the role of Prince T’Challa.

Specifically, The Long Walk’s David Jonsson was named as the new Black Panther star, which also means that there will be yet another passing of the torch for the Black Panther. The role was first played by the late Chadwick Boseman, who sadly passed ahead of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In that movie, Boseman’s King T’Challa also passed, and his sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), then took up the mantle. Now, T’Challa’s own son will take on the Black Panther title, and Wright has shared how she feels about that shift.

Letitia Wright Is Happy to Pass the Torch

While the casting news for Black Panther 3 was met with considerable enthusiasm from many in the fanbase, it did lead to the rather surprising (and disappointing) revelation that Shuri’s time as Black Panther is already coming to an end. As mentioned, she took on that role in Wakanda Forever, and she’s already confirmed to be Black Panther in Doomsday as well. This means that Shuri will have had just two movies as Black Panther in all.

Some fans have voiced dissatisfaction and even frustration with this choice, wondering why Shuri didn’t get her own time to shine, especially because Prince T’Challa was only five or six years old in Wakanda Forever, which presumably meant Shuri had at least a solid decade ahead of her as Black Panther, if not even longer. Curiously, it seems something is going on plot-wise with this age consideration, as Jonsson is actually in his 30s—a major jump from Prince T’Challa’s age when he was last on screen.

Despite some fan grievances over this decision, though, it seems that Wright isn’t nearly as bothered by this relatively short-lived run as Black Panther. Instead, she seems very excited and pleased with the choice. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Wright said of the casting decision and passing of the torch, “The news was really beautiful to hear because I have a personal connection to David…To see the full circle of that today, I’m still living in it. We’re both still checking in with each other about it.”

She continued, “She now has that mantle to pass on, and [that] guidance and the wisdom…I’m going to have a really, really good time, a lot of fun, and I’m going to pick on him so much.” Clearly, Wright seems delighted by the turn of events and ready to see this legacy continue on. However, fans’ opinions remain mixed regarding whether it’s fair that Shuri was Black Panther for so short a time.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!