The 20 greatest women in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
By Mark Lynch
Credit: Marvel Studios for Marvel’s Black Panther — Letitia Wright as Princess Shuri
5. Shuri
Our first impression of Shuri was that she was just the silly little sister of King T’Challa. Then we got see who she really is when she was first shown working in her lab. Shuri took her brother’s old Black Panther suit and gave it a serious upgrade, something he wasn’t going to do. She’s also responsible for a lot of Wakanda’s weapons and technology, which effectively make the country run.
In the final battle in Black Panther, Shuri puts on her gauntlets and shows everyone watching that she’s more than a genius. She’s a warrior, just like everyone else in her family. She took on Killmonger without any fear and, when her gauntlets were broken, she picked up a weapon and fought side by side with the Dora Milaje. And let’s also not forget how she stumped Bruce Banner in Avengers: Infinity War and fought alongside the group of female heroesthat helped take on Thanos head on in Endgame.
Why she’s top ten
We are witnessing something special here. Shuri has only appeared in two movies (three if you count her short appearance in Avengers: Endgame), and she’s being talked about as the future. Young girls everywhere can now have a Disney Princess that’s royalty, a genius, and a warrior. And all the while, she’s breaking the stereotype that smart people are weak. She’s another person on this list who would make a great Avenger.