Despite having an abundance of underwhelming releases in the last year, MCU did end phase four on a high note with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But it seems that Dominique Thorne, who made her debut through the sequel, was considered for another substantial role in the MCU before.
After the colossal success of the sequel, the studios have shared some insight about their initial plans for the role of T’Challa’s sister. They also shared a clip of Thorne’s initial audition for the first Black Panther and explained why she didn’t make it into the first movie.
Marvel considered Dominique Thorne as Shuri for Black Panther before casting Letitia Wright
Before Letitia Wright got the chance to portray the character of Shuri in Black Panther and eventually take the mantle of the titular character in the sequel, there was another Marvel star, who was on the frontline to grab the role. The studios revealed that the Ironheart actress Dominique Thorne was the prime contender for the role of T’Challa’s sister.
Even though the executives were mesmerized by Thorne’s audition for the role, they eventually moved forward with Letitia Wright for the role, as Thorne’s chemistry with Chadwick Boseman was a little off-putting. The studios recently shared footage of Throne’s initial screen test for the role of Shuri while explaining the reason for bringing her back for the sequel.
Dominique Thorne was the first and only choice for the role of Riri Williams
Even though the actress was sidelined for the first Black Panther movie, the studio didn’t hesitate to bring her back for the sequel. After the creators decided to put Riri Williams into the movie, their first and only choice for the character was Dominique Thorne and this time the actress didn’t need to go through any audition. They stated,
“And we liked her and we thought she was smart and she has a great presence and she is funny and she has a lot of attitudes but we remembered that audition and so when we decided to put Riri Williams into Wakanda Forever she was the first and only call”
Their decision to bring her back eventually paid off, as the chemistry she shared with Letitia Wright’s Shuri was one of the highlights of the movie. And the movie as a whole was deemed one of the better films of phase four and was able to end the lackluster chapter of MCU on a high note.
Even though the actress wasn’t able to grab the role of Shuri in the beginning, this eventually became a blessing in disguise, as now she has bigger boots to fill in the upcoming MCU. With her Disney Plus show, Ironheart arriving this year, fans are excited to witness the story of the character unfold.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is available to stream on Disney+.
Source: Twitter
