There are two things we know for certain. Firstly, the events of Black Panther will have a significant bearing on the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Secondly, the information that appears on IMDB – particularly for films that are still in production – is not necessarily accurate. Now, these two facts combine and raise the question: Will Shuri – sister to Black Panther – appear in Avengers: Infinity War?
There’s evidence to suggest that she might. The eagle-eyed people at MCU Exchange have noted that stunt performer Crystal Michelle appears in the Stunts section of the IMDB listings for both Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. On the former, she’s listed as the stunt double for Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri. On the latter, she’s listed as “stunt double: Shuri.”
It’s important to note that Letitia Wright herself is not yet listed as a cast member of Avengers: Infinity War, but the cast list as it appears on IMDB is not verified as complete. While this may seem like a minor rumour that can be easily dismissed, it’s actually pivotal in that it would give an indication as to both the level of connection between Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, and also of the significance of Black Panther’s supporting players within the future of the MCU.
Leading MCU architect Kevin Feige has previously stated that “T’Challa’s story is very important to us as it links to the next Avengers films, which is why we brought it forward.” So we know that, in the chronology of MCU events, whatever happens in Black Panther will resonate within the plot of Avengers: Infinity War. The cast of Avengers: Infinity War is already vast, with the Guardians Of The Galaxy all playing their part, in addition to the core Avengers team – so we can assume that any characters appearing in that sequel from other movies are included for an important reason.
With this many characters involved, there will be no time for indulgent snippets of people from other titles – everyone onscreen in the film will have a purpose. In addition to this, if the involvement of the character of Shuri in Avengers: Infinity War is indeed true, then the fact that she requires a stunt double gives us an indication of the kind of situations in which she might find herself getting caught up.
So, will Shuri battle for Wakanda in Black Panther, and then battle for Earth in Avengers: Infinity War? Does this all mean that Wakanda is the location of the sixth Infinity Stone? Watch this space for more updates.