First introduced in Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri is a gifted student who, thanks to her recent adventures, Fortunately, Princess Shuri has her back.
“We thought Riri Williams was the perfect character for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever because she can do so many things at once,” explained producer Nate Moore. “We wanted Shuri to see herself in a way that’s surprising at the same time. You’re funny. You’re current. She’s creative. Somehow, she doesn’t realize how smart she is.
On-screen, Shuri is at first shocked, then surprisingly discovers that there is another young, black woman who creates world-changing things. “It was exciting to see Shuri and Riri work together and see these two very intelligent women realize both the similarities and differences in each other.”
Speaking of Riri and Shuri, her on-screen actor Dominic Thorne (who will reprise the role of Riri in the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart) actually auditioned for the first Black Panther movie years ago. However, the filmmakers cast Shuri with Letitia Wright, but they definitely had Thorne in mind…
When it came time to cast Riri, Moore and the rest of the creative team had only one name in mind, and according to her, Thorne was “the first and only call” and “she called her out, she wasn’t done yet.” Two years and more. Heard from us.”
“We really liked him and we thought she was really smart,” Moore explained. “She’s there, he’s funny. She has a lot of personalities. We remembered that interview and it was straightforward for the whole team to accept it as an idea.”
Fortunately, Thorne said yes and joined the MCU. “She’s a game and she’s more than we thought. She’s a talented actor. She can play drama and comedy. You’re incredibly prepared. These movies are a game of all the truths thrown at players; sometimes, it’s really surprising.”
Also, Read Black Panther Review, Cast, And Summary (2018)
While more will be revealed about Riri in the film, returning writer and director Ryan Coogler admits she shares a bond with Shuri. However, while Shuri is a genius in many fields, Riri is actually a mechanic in one.
“Riri is very focused. She’s probably the coolest person alive with construction machines and robots and fast-moving things. When we meet her, she’s working in a lab at a car shop. We see her working on cars with her stepfather, building big, muscular things. We found out.
“Riri Williams is a compelling character in the publication and has a shared history of grief and trauma,” Moore said. “There was this kind of karmic connection between these two characters immediately apparent and made our jobs a lot easier. We thought it would have been more interesting if Shuri had been eliminated by the others and found someone else with desire. So this instant rivalry and, and, and relationship unfolded throughout the film and the MCU. I think that can be carried in.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, opens in theaters on November 11, 2022.