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A couple of months back, deep in the midst of the promotional run-up to Gladiator II, Denzel Washington let slip the sort of secret that might have constituted a problem for an actor of lesser stature. Asked about his plans for the next five years, Washington casually noted that he had Black Panther 3—a film that had not been officially confirmed to exist, and especially not with one of the biggest movie stars on the planet attached to it—penciled in for a spot on his very busy schedule. Washington does not appear to have been especially worried about violating the vaunted Marvel Secrecy Protocols with this revelation, making it clear that he was just excited to work with director Ryan Coogler on a franchise that Washington has talked about enjoying a great deal.
Now, Coogler has dropped the usual Marvel coyness to confirm that, no shit, if Denzel Washington wants to be in his superhero movie, he will write a part for Denzel Washington in his superhero movie. Per Variety, Coogler was talking on the Nightcap podcast when the topic came up, and he didn’t bother to obfuscate. “I’ve been dying to work with Denzel. I’m hoping we can make that happen. I’ve got every intention of working with him on that movie. As long as he’s interested, man, it’s going to happen. He’s a living legend and a great mentor for so many of us. He’s all about looking out for us, now.” It’s pretty clear, from Coogler’s comments, that there’s nothing down on paper at this point in terms of locking Washington in for a part, but the intent on both sides is pretty clear: Denzel in Wakanda in some form or another.
Although the franchise’s third movie still doesn’t have a release date—Coogler said “Not long” when asked about timing—the Black Panther movies did get a little promotional boost earlier this week. During its Big, Long Chair Showcase for Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel was careful to include the names of multiple cast members from the series, including Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and Tenoch Huerta Mejía, who played the antagonistic Namor in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
