It's no longer a secret to MCU fans that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will see the ascension of T'Challa's successor. However, what some fans fail to realize is that the film also explores how his family and friends cope with his passing. It turns out, actress Lupita Nyong'o originally had an issue with how Nakia was being presented in the film and she's now revealing juicy details about her character who quite frankly is overlooked most of the time.
During a press event for Wakanda Forever (via ScreenRant), Lupita shared how she developed some jealousy towards co-star Letitia Wright when they began filming the sequel. The actress reveals that she was particularly envious of how Shuri could just be more chaotic following the death of T'Challa whereas Nakia had to remain modest.
She explains: "I remember in the beginning, reading the script, I was so envious of Leticia because she gets to be chaotic. And that's how I felt; I felt raw and wanted to express it. Nakia, though, she is an example of someone who is just a little further along in terms of her processing. And it's not like she has it all figured out."
"But in the first film, [director] Ryan [Coogler] described her as T'Challa's oasis. And that really, really resonated with me. When I was reading the script and thinking about where she is, I realized that what she was once to T'Challa, she now has the opportunity to offer Shuri. And it made a lot of sense in terms of the structure and architecture of the story. When we're talking about exploration of grief, it's really grounding to have someone who is... I want to say befitting of the change for the people in the story, but also for an audience."
"And the fact that she was TChalla's love, in a way. I guess it allows an audience to know that it's okay. It's okay. As much as I was frustrated with Ryan for doing that with Nakia [laughs], actually playing her was very therapeutic for me. I had to look beyond my frustrations with losing Chadwick and learn from her; learn from that wisdom that she seems to possess. For that, I'm really grateful to you, Ryan."
Also Read: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever First Reactions Are In: "Powerfully Good," "Best Movie from Phase 4"
Naturally, fans are excited to see the debut of the new Black Panther but personally, I'm just as excited about Lupita's performance in the film which I feel will be emotionally gripping. Hopefully, Nakia finally gets the chance to shine this time around.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits cinemas on November 11th.
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