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Shuri, the younger sister of T'Challa and heir to the throne of Wakanda, debuted in 2005 in the second issue of the fourth volume of the Black Panther solo series. Highly intelligent and fiercely loyal, she is always seen prioritizing her country and the people of Wakanda.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the character of Shuri is played by Letitia Wright. Wright is all set to reprise her role in the upcoming Marvel movie, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Created by Ryan Coogler, the film will be the sequel to Coogler's critically-acclaimed Black Panther (2018).
Following the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman due to colon cancer in August 2020, Marvel Studios decided not to replace him in the sequel. The upcoming film will instead address the death of King T'Challa (played by Boseman) and focus on the events after his death where the people of Wakanda will need to defend their home from other hostile invading nations.
The two trailers also revealed that a new Black Panther will emerge in the sequel.
The film is slated to release on November 11, 2022, and will wrap up Phase 4 of the MCU. Before you watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in theaters, check out these interesting facts about Shuri.
Rejected by the Panther God, founder of a school, and other facts about Shuri that you might not know
1) She led Wakanda in the fight against Namor
In the comics, when Namor launched an attack on Wakanda, Shuri declared war against Namor and his people. In the conflict between the two countries, she led the Wakandan warriors in the fight against Namor, in which the well-trained Wakandan army decimated nearly all of Namor's forces.
2) She founded the Wakandan School for Alternative Studies
In the comics, Shuri founded The Wakandan School for Alternative Studies. She also serves as the headmistress of the school, which serves as a Wakandan counterpart to the Xavier School in the United States.
In this school, Shuri trains young Wakandan people who are gifted with extraordinary abilities. Some of her most illustrious students include Bull, who has the reflexes and strength of a lion, Blocks, who can absorb and transfer kinetic energy, and Asha, who can reflect or absorb light and disappear.
3) She was once rejected by the Panther god
According to the comic, when T'Challa was gravely wounded, Shuri sought to take her brother's place as Black Panther as she believed that she was ready for the role. She participated in the ritual to become the Black Panther, which involved members of the Wakandan ruling family ingesting heart-shaped herbs to enhance their abilities.
When Shuri ingested the herb, the Panther god who grants the abilities of the Black Panther, thought that she was too arrogant and selfish, and refused to give her the Panther's power. But she donned the Panther outfit without having any of its abilities and fought for her people anyway. When the Panther god saw her selfless act and willingness to fight, he reversed his decision and deemed her as the Panther.
4) She can transform her body into a number of things
In the comics, when Shuri fought Proxima Midnight, she was not outright killed. Instead, her body was stuck in a state of “living death”, encased in amber. Her soul left her body and traveled to the Wakandan spiritual realm of the afterlife called the Djalia. During her time in Djalia, she gained wisdom from the Wakandans who came before her. She also acquired a number of special abilities, which included the skill of transformation.
When her body awakened from its stasis, she discovered that her new abilities included the ability to turn her body into a flock of birds to fly or escape an attack. She also found out that she can change her body composition to a rock-like material, in order to make her invulnerable to attacks.
5) She can raise the Wakandan dead
According to the comic, Shuri encountered a griot spirit during her time in Djalia, who took the form of her mother and trained her to be stronger upon her return to life. One of the most impressive skills that she took away from her time in the Djalia, is the ability to raise the dead Wakandans. However, this ability also drained her energy and took an extreme toll on her body.
Don't forget to watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in your nearest theaters on November 11.
