‘Wakanda Forever’ stars embrace grief as part of healing process

Wakanda might be forever. If only the same were true for mere mortals.

Letitia Wright knows that two years later, the grief she has experienced after the unexpected passing of co-star Chadwick Boseman remains. There are days when she cries. On others, she finds inspiration from his life.

Boseman played the beloved King T’Challa in the Marvel Universe. He died in 2020 at age 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer that he kept quiet.

Wright wasn’t even sure if she could make another “Black Panther” movie after “never even getting the chance to say goodbye to my brother.”

“In grief, we often ask, ‘How do we take a step forward? Is it possible?’ What I’ve learned is that it must be a gentle step forward, especially when you feel so raw,” Wright says. “This movie asks: What does the world look like when your heart is broken?’

“I think there are many walking around with raw hearts over losing someone they love,” says the 29-year-old Guyanese British actress, who plays the genius scientist Princess Shuri. “With the sequel to ‘Black Panther,’ we deal with grief. We made something that felt real and truthful. Hopefully, people can find some healing within this movie.”

In “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” opening Nov. 11 in theaters, the kingdom of Wakanda must deal with the aftermath of losing its beloved king in a time of grave danger from the outside world. Supernatural poachers and foreign countries are knocking on Wakanda’s door and trying to steal its natural resource vibranium.

The cast again includes Martin Freeman, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta and Lake Bell.

On an early morning in L.A., Wright and co-star Lupita Nyong’o discussed how to live the good life in a time of loss.

■ Deal with grief, in your own way: Nyong’o says she was “relieved” when she read the script for the “Black Panther” sequel because it didn’t shy away from dealing with grief. “I had been dreading it. And then when I read the script, I was like, ‘Oh, phew, we don’t have to pretend like we are not in grief, you know? We got to use our grief and we got to just add juice to Chadwick’s legacy.” She adds, “I was so envious of those who are cathartic in their grief. I felt raw, but I want to express my feelings in real life and on screen. … My character is a little further along in terms of her processing, but it’s not like she has it all figured out.”

■ Forward thinking is healing: Wright says director Ryan Coogler told her, “The Wakanda world would even expand a bit after Chadwick’s death. For my character, she starts as this ray of sunshine. Life changes her. She is so proud of her late big brother but now has to create a new world for herself. She is a young woman going through something profound with her family members.” The movie shows the characters speaking frankly about their feelings. “I brought my whole heart to it,” Wright says.

■ Allow your body to heal: A shoulder injury that Wright suffered while doing stunts landed her at home for three months to recover. She wasn’t feeling like a superhero anymore, but like anyone dealing with a long healing process. “One day I was sitting on the couch at home thinking, ‘How are you going to bounce back from this?’ And I could hear my brother’s voice say, ‘You can do it,’ ” she says, referring to Boseman. “He helped me heal in a way. I felt his inspiration. When I went back to set, I felt stronger in many ways because I faced an injury and I allowed my body the time to bounce back.”

■ Motivate outside the box: On the first film, Wright says that Boseman had a different way to get the cast into fighting mode. “Chadwick brought with him his drumming buddy. He would drum as we did our fight training. It became a part of our rhythm. He’d play hip-hop, R&B and reggae music on the drums,” she says. “This time around, we hired drummers to be there for all the fight training. It was very powerful. It kept us in rhythm and made us all feel connected.”

■ Know you’re not alone: Wright wasn’t always in warrior mode. She says that growing up she experienced “feelings that I wasn’t good enough or beautiful enough or talented enough. Self-doubt began to seep in.” The solution? “You need to allow yourself the time to tear those lies down and build yourself back up again. … There are so many people who are going through a bad time and put a smile on their face and nobody can see that they’re hurting. I just want to say that God loves you and just let your light shine.”

■ Keep a few secrets: Once she received the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” script, Nyong’o says the questions became unending. “I had people begging me to tell them anything,” she recalls. “I would get ‘please, please, please — just tell me a little something.’ Then I would hear, ‘No, I don’t want to hear anything.’ I should have thought up a few lies, but I didn’t.”