Legendary actor Denzel Washington will indeed star in Marvel’s upcoming Black Panther 3, director Ryan Coogler has said.
The news confirms what Washington himself hinted at last year — that Coogler was writing a part intended for the Training Day and Gladiator 2 actor within the upcoming Black Panther threequel, which currently does not have an official release date.
Washington’s potential (now confirmed) involvement in Black Panther 3 previously triggered an early confirmation from Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige that the movie was indeed happening. While Black Panther 3 is yet to appear on any official Disney or Marvel production schedule, Feige acknowledged in December 2024 that it was now being planned.
Speaking on the 7pm in Brooklyn podcast (via E! Online) this week, Coogler said “there’s no fiction out there about that” when asked to respond to Washington suggesting he would have a Black Panther 3 role.
While playing a game of true or false — titled “F**k With It or F**k Outta Here” — Coogler said Washington’s comments were “a big F**k With It.” (This is the option that means they are true.)
“Denzel is family at this point,” Coogler continued. “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.”
A third entry in the hit MCU Black Panther series was always assured after the first entry hit $1.35 billion and its follow-up Wakanda Forever, which was retooled after the tragic death of original Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, earned another $859 million.
Exactly when we’ll see Black Panther 3 release, though, is another matter. Currently, Marvel has four films on its schedule for the next two years: The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, 2025; Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, 2026; Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026; and Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027.
With characters from the world of Black Panther already confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, it seems unlikely we’ll be returning to Wakanda in a standalone film until the next MCU phase, currently set to begin in 2028.
Image credit: Photo by Bruce Glikas/WireImage.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
