After the success of “Sinners,” Ryan Coogler could have probably made any movie he wanted, with almost any studio happily giving him the budget needed, and yet he’s decided to go back to Marvel.
When asked by Deadline about the possibility of a third ‘Black Panther’ movie, Coogler at first played coy — offering only, “I can neither confirm nor deny.” However, he soon eased up, admitting that returning to the Marvel hero is indeed his next project.
“We’re deep into it,” he said. “It’s up next. Yes, it’s the next film.’”
Makes sense. There’s already that rumored February 18, 2028 release date. The film would start production at the top of 2027.
Although Marvel has yet to make a formal announcement, there’s been some movement on the film, including a peculiar casting bit. Denzel Washington made headlines in November 2024 by confirming his involvement in the threequel — no word yet on what role he’s been cast in.
Furthermore, a recent Variety report notes that ideas are currently “percolating” for the Coogler-directed threequel, generating “excitement internally” at Marvel. Coogler, who helmed the first two films, remains a central figure in Marvel’s long-term strategy, and that’s coming off his “Sinners,” which was a critical and box-office success in North America and will, in all likelihood, earn a slew of Oscar nominations as well.
If we’d all like to see Coogler broaden his horizons by tackling more original stories, that will have to wait. A real shame, if you ask me.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was released in November 2022, and while it fell short of the original’s box-office numbers, it’s still the highest-grossing MCU movie of the last five years, having earned $859M worldwide. The idea of a third film getting greenlit was a no-brainer decision.
On the non-film front, Coogler might actually be shooting his “X-Files” reboot next year. Danielle Deadwyler has been rumored for months to have nabbed one of the two lead roles for that upcoming series, set up over at 20th Century and probably meant for a Disney+ streaming premiere.
The ‘Smile’ franchise has a new director. David Bruckner, who made “The Night House” and the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, has been hired to direct “Smile 3” for Paramount.