Ryan Coogler Confirms Denzel Washington Will Be In 'Black Panther 3'

Marvel

Jun 7

At the age of 70, after more than 60 films and two Oscars, Denzel Washington has every right to think about winding down his long-standing career.

“After that, I’m gonna do the film Othello. After that, I’m gonna do King Lear. After that, I’m gonna retire,” the actor said last year.

And by the first "After that", he meant playing a role in the MCU's Black Panther 3.

The film, which has been in development since 2023 will be written and directed by Ryan Coogler and the director of the massively successful Sinners as well as the first two Black Panther films, has now officially confirmed that Washington will appear in his movie, after rumors about his involvement have been around for some time. And Coogler writes a role specifically for The Equalizer star that is not based on an existing character from the comics.

RELATED:

Featured

Guardians Of The Genre: The Directors Who Kept Superhero Movies Alive

And Coogler has nothing but appreciation for Washington's legacy: “Denzel is family at this point,” he shared. “I’ve been trying to work with him since day one. I think he’s the greatest living actor. In terms of what he means to our culture? Forget about it, man.”

And this appreciation surely is mutual, as Washington stated that the main reason for taking the role is not to be finally part of the most successful film franchise of all time, but Cooglar's involvement:

“It’s about the filmmaker, especially 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 gonna make, probably not that many. I want to do things that I haven’t done.”

Marvel has not provided a release date for the third Black Panther film, but it will likely be after Avengers: Secret Wars in December 2027, although Disney has scheduled an additional Marvel film for July 23, 2027.

The second Black Panther film, Wakanda Forever, was released in 2022, after Chadwick Boseman's death, starring Letitia Wright as Shuri / Black Panther, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett.

READ NEXT:

Featured