Black Panther 3 is moving closer to reality, with director Ryan Coogler recently indicating that the next chapter in Marvel’s Wakanda saga will be his forthcoming project.
Appearing at Deadline’s Contenders Film event, the Sinners maker said the Marvel film is “the next movie”, confirming his intention to round out the trilogy.
The franchise’s first instalment released in 2018 with Chadwick Boseman as Prince T’Challa. Following Boseman’s death from colon cancer, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever shifted its focus to Letitia Wright’s Shuri, who took on leadership of the kingdom.
At the event, Coogler teased his involvement, saying, “If it were anybody but you, I would say, ‘I can neither confirm nor deny.’” He added, “But we’re working on it hard. … Yeah, it’s the next movie.”
Speculation around casting has intensified as well. Denzel Washington previously suggested that Coogler was developing a role for him in Black Panther 3 during promotions for Gladiator II.
Coogler later backed that up, stating, “I’m dying to work with Denzel, and I’m hoping we can make that happen. I got every intention of working with him in that movie, and as long as he’s interested — it’s going to happen.”
In a separate interaction on the Nightcap podcast, Coogler had hinted that cameras could roll soon, saying the film will begin production “not long” from now.
Boseman first played T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War before joining the fight against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. After his passing, Wakanda Forever followed Shuri, M’Baku, Queen Ramonda, Okoye and the Dora Milaje as they protected the nation “from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death.”
Plot details for Black Panther 3 remain under wraps.