Denzel Washington may have just let slip that early development is underway on “Black Panther 3,” and honestly who could blame him? The actor said that Ryan Coogler, who wrote and directed 2018’s Oscar-winning “Black Panther” and the 2022 sequel “Wakanda Forever,” is writing a role for him in a third “Black Panther” movie — which has not yet been announced by Marvel.
The revelation came during a conversation with The Today Show Australia in which Washington, who is next seen stealing scenes in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” said he likely only has a few roles left in his career. The 69-year-old performer laid out his game plan for the next few projects.
“At this point in my career, I’m only interested in working with the best. I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make, probably not that many. I want to do things that I haven’t done,” he said. “I played Othello at 22, I’m now going to play it at 70. 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.’ After that, I’m going to do the film ‘Othello.’ After that, I’m going to do ‘King Lear.’ After that, I’m going to retire.”
Marvel has yet to publicly reveal that “Black Panther 3” is happening or that Coogler is working on it, but it does seem like a foregone conclusion. Despite the tragic death of star Chadwick Boseman, “Wakanda Forever” grossed over $850 million at the worldwide box office, and Coogler remains in high demand.
The filmmaker’s next movie is a vampire feature set up at Warner Bros. starring Michael B. Jordan. Titled “Sinners,” that film hits theaters in March 2025. Coogler has yet to reveal what he plans to make next, but it could be that he’s returning to Marvel to complete a “Black Panther” trilogy.
Next for the superhero studio after “Deadpool & Wolverine” smashed up the box off this summer is a trio of features for 2025: “Captain America: Brave New World” in February, “Thunderbolts*” in May and “The Fantastic Four: The First Steps” in July. After that, Robert Downey Jr. returns to the fold in 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday” which sets up a swarm of superheroes in 2027’s “Avengers: Secret Wars.”
