Step aside, Tony Stark, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has spat out a new genius.
Her name? Shuri, the fiercely intelligent sister of Black Panther and heiress to the throne of Wakanda. Brought to life by Letitia Wright, T’Challa’s younger sibling is already responsible for Bucky Barnes, but it turns out rebooting the Winter Soldier in time for Infinity War isn’t the only thing on her to-do list.
Per ComicBook.com, it’s understood Shuri is also the brains behind Captain America’s sleek new shield, which appears to be molded from the same Wakandan tech that lines the fabric of T’Challa’s super-suit. It’s also a far cry from the patriotic shield of old, as Cap’s new armament is supposedly a grey, rugged lump of metal that has more in common with a sheet of corrugated iron than anything else.
Even still, it’s an exciting evolution for a character who has been a fixture of the MCU from the get-go, and during a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Letitia Wright spoke about her experience in Marvel’s interwoven franchise thus far (spoilers: “it was amazing!”), all the while confirming her role in this year’s Avengers: Infinity War.
It was amazing. It was surreal to just see certain characters that I’d been watching as an audience member for years and then be opposite them. I can’t say who but it was amazing. I keep using the word amazing today. I just have to walk around with a sign that says, ‘Black Panther and the whole Marvel experience of working on Avengers: Infinity War was also amazing!’ It was amazing.
And so, as the MCU welcomes another tech-savvy intellect into its midst, viewers will be praying for some form of interaction between Tony Stark and/or Rocket Raccoon – think of how the former bounced off Bruce Banner (AKA the Incredible Hulk) in The Avengers all those years ago.
It’s above her pay grade, of course, but Letitia Wright is certainly game:
I think that needs to happen. Talk to [Kevin] Feige, man. Tell him to organize that. That would be amazing!
You can go ahead and add Shuri’s name to the growing list of characters set to be featured in Avengers: Infinity War. It’s primed to light up theaters on May 4th – exactly 11 weeks after the launch of Black Panther in North America.