- Black Panther 3 may be in the works at Marvel
- Denzel Washington claims to have been offered a role
- Marvel has yet to give the sequel the green light
Black Panther 3 is reportedly in the works. Well, if you believe comments accidentally made by Hollywood megastars.
Whilst promoting his role in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, Hollywood icon Denzel Washington let slip that Black Panther series director Ryan Coogler had offered him a role in the Marvel sequel.
Read more: All we know about Spider-Man 4
Despite these promising comments, no official announcement has been made by Marvel or its head honcho Kevin Feige. However, that didn’t stop fans from relishing the news that Black Panther 3 could be on the way.
What else do we know? Well, it’s still early days but below you’ll find all the key details we have so far about Black Panther 3.
What has been said about Black Panther 3?
So far, the information we have on Black Panther 3 is limited. Marvel Studios has yet to confirm the film is actually happening and Coogler has yet to be set in stone as its director.
In the years since 2022’s bittersweet sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hit screens, a few of the franchise’s key creatives have discussed the potential of a third movie.
In between Coogler’s 2018 original and its 2022 sequel, series hero Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa AKA the Black Panther, passed away in 2020 following a battle with colon cancer. He was just 43-years-old.
During a chat with Variety, Feige revealed that he had engaged in discussions with Coogler about returning for a third movie and the pair had even “pitched ideas back and forth.”
He also said that doing a new movie without the director “wouldn’t be the preference.”
Will Ryan Coogler return to direct?
That said, the same article saw Cooler admit that working on Wakanda Forever – a film that dealt with the fictional fallout following the real-life passing of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman – “got everything I have.”
“I love making movies, but to quote a character in our movie, I gave this everything,” he told Variety. “This movie got everything I have. I’m at that place where I think I’ve got this press tour in me and then I’ve got to sit down and reflect. Probably cry a lot, because I’ve been holding that back. And then from there, figure out whatever’s next.”
Shortly after Coogler and Feige made these comments, actor Letitia Wright, who plays the current Black Panther Shuri, sister to Boseman’s T’Challa, briefly discussed the project.
Letitia Wright on plans for a #BlackPanther3: "I think it's already in the works…It's gonna take a while, but really excited for you guys to see that." #GoldenGlobes https://t.co/mPI0zz0SqB pic.twitter.com/hILe9CZP4B
— Variety (@Variety) January 11, 2023
Speaking to Variety at the 2023 Golden Globes, Wright suggested Black Panther 3 was “in the works.”
“I think it’s already in the works… It’s gonna take a while, but really excited for you guys to see that.”
Who might star in a third Black Panther movie?
With Black Panther 3 yet to receive the go-ahead, the project has no official cast.
However, the film will reportedly feature an appearance from Training Day star Washington. While promoting his highly-praised role in Gladiator II, Washington claimed that Coogler had offered him a role in an upcoming Black Panther sequel.
“At this point in my career, I’m only interested in working with the best,” Washington told the Associated Press. “I don’t know how many more films I will make, probably not that many. I want to do things that I haven’t done.”
“I played Othello at 22, I’m now going to play it at 70,” continued Washington.
“After that, I’m playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.”
Marvel didn’t comment on these reports, leaving them neither confirmed nor denied.
Shortly after, Washington revealed that he had called Coogler up to apologise for letting the cat out of the bag.
“I called him and apologized for talking about the movie, and right there sitting with him was his beautiful wife,” he told Variety in mid-December 2024.
“He’s still Ryan, humble and full of ideas. Whatever he writes, I’ll read.”
Beyond Washington, it remains unclear who might return for Black Panther 3. Still, it’s likely that Wright’s Shuri will be back, especially considering she’s Wakanda’s current Black Panther.
Beyond that, we’ll have to wait and see.
