There was so much awesomeness in Black Panther that it’s difficult to keep track. But one element that stood out as particularly excellent was T’Challa’s sister, Wakanda’s Princess and genius level scientist Shuri, as played by Letitia Wright.
She was funny, she was smart, she was cool and she kicked ass with her strike gauntlets in the final battle. And with Marvel Studios reportedly set to make big changes following Avengers: Infinity War and its sequel, it seems like a no-brainer to increase her presence across the MCU.
Kevin Feige clearly agrees, too. In an interview with EW, he spoke about the potential future of Black Panther, which in the wake of its barnstorming box office success looks set to be extremely influential on any new direction the franchise takes. More specifically, though, he spoke about Shuri, saying:
I think there’s lots of potential. It’s a balance between leaving people wanting more and then giving them too much, but I would watch a movie about any of those characters you just named. I think Shuri’s astounding, and you’ll see much more of her in our universe.
With rumors swirling that Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark might meet his end against Thanos, any future incarnation of the Avengers will need a tech guru – and who better than Shuri? Black Panther ends with Wakanda launching its outreach program, which Shuri’s instrumental in directing, so logically, we’d expect to see her influence being felt in every corner of the MCU.
I’d personally love to see her interacting with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, as two teenage geniuses comparing notes sounds like the foundation of a great relationship to me. And then there’s the little fact that Shuri eventually takes up the mantle of Black Panther in the comics. I suspect Chadwick Boseman has a couple of movies left in him yet, but who knows what the distant future holds?
Fortunately, we only have to wait until April 27th for Shuri’s next appearance, in Avengers: Infinity War. The recently released stills show her meeting Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner – presumably prior to the big Wakandan showdown we’ve seen in the trailers – and we’re hopeful that the already superhero-stuffed film has enough room to give her the screentime she deserves.
