Don Cheadle slams Marvel co-star Letitia Wright for sharing anti-vaccine video

Black Panther actor Letitia Wright attracted controversy after sharing a video questioning the effectiveness of a potential coronavirus vaccine, and vaccines generally. The ensuing backlash also included a takedown by her Marvel Cinematic Universe co-star Don Cheadle, who said that he would take the conversation offline.

Letitia, best known for playing T'Challa's sister Shuri in the MCU, a character that will reportedly take a more central role in the Black Panther franchise's future, on Thursday tweeted a video from On The Table, a YouTube discussion channel. The presenter of the video spoke about the Covid-19 vaccine, and cast doubt over its efficacy. "I don't understand vaccines medically, but I've always been a little bit of a sceptical of them," he said.

Reacting to the backlash that followed, she tweeted, "If you don't conform to popular opinions. but ask questions and think for yourself....you get cancelled." She also responded to several Twitter users who criticised her decision to share the video.

Her MCU co-star Don Cheadle was tagged into conversations around the subject, and said that he would take the matter up with her personally. "...I'll personally take it to her if she said something crazy. Not to Twitter. That's how I do it with friends and how I hope they do it with me if I fkkk up. Trying to find it now," he said, about trying to find her original tweet, and the video she shared.

He followed up and wrote, "Jesus... Just scrolled through. Hot garbage. Every time I stopped and listened, he and everything he said sounded crazy and fkkkd up. I would never defend anybody posting this. But I still won't throw her away over it. The rest I'll take off Twitter. Had no idea."

This week, former US presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton all agreed to get themselves vaccinated for the coronavirus, in an effort to boost public faith in the vaccine. President-elect Joe Biden has already said that the vaccine will be made available to every American, free of cost.