Shuri, Your Favorite Wakandan Princess, Gets Her Own Marvel Series

By Sameer Rao Jul 18, 2018

Fans of Shuri can now rejoice: A new Marvel comic series about the genius behind Wakanda’s sophisticated technology is coming.

Marvel announced yesterday (July 17) that "Shuri" will hit bookshelves this October. Nigerian-American author and scholar Nnedi Okorafor wrote the series in collaboration with illustrator Leonardo Romero.

"Shuri" follows the Wakandan princess after her brother and current Black Panther, King T’Challa, disappears during a mission to outer space. Shuri, far more comfortable with Wakanda’s vibranium than its royal customs, must balance her passion with her country’s sudden political vacuum.

Okorafor has brought her Afrofuturist lens to other Marvel properties, including "Black Panther: Long Live the King" and a forthcoming series about the all-female Dora Milaje. The author announced the new project with a tweet featuring the cover art:

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rnt"[Shuri is] a young African woman of genius-level intelligence who is obsessed with technology and has traveled spiritually so far into the past that she’s seen Wakanda before it was Wakanda," Okorafor told Bustle. "The Ancestors call her Ancient Future. And she’s super ambitious. What do I love about her? Alllll that and more."

"Shuri" is not the first project to show the character taking on her brother’s responsibilities. Reginald Hudlin’s "Black Panther" storyline featured Shuri commanding the titular superhero’s vibranium suit. 

British actress Letitia Wright broke into the mainstream by portraying Shuri in "Black Panther." Her and other starring actresses’ acclaimed performances prompted calls for a sequel about Wakanda’s female leaders, which Wright and film director Ryan Coogler both publicly supported. Netflix amplified that call soon after the news of Okorafor’s series broke: 

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