Sinners director Ryan Coogler coming back to the MCU soon, confirms Black Panther 3 is his "next movie"

It sounds like we could be seeing Black Panther 3 relatively soon. Ryan Coogler, director of the first two first two Black Panther films, says a return to Wakanda is his next feature, though with no indication of when we might see it.

He addressed the MCU installment during an on-stage interview for Contenders Film: Los Angeles, hosted by Deadline. "If it was anybody but you, I would say, 'I can neither confirm or deny.' But we're working on it hard," he responded to a question about a Black Panther threequel. "Yeah, it's the next movie."

We've known Black Panther 3 is in development for some time, thanks in no small part to Denzel Washington, who stated Coogler was writing a role for him in the movie in June 2024. Coogler himself confirmed Washington's involvement this past summer. Letitia Wright and Winston Duke are expected to reprise their roles, though no other casting announcements have been made.

Avengers: Doomsday | Now in Production - YouTube

Watch On

There's been no indication on the status of the project otherwise, and Coogler's kept his schedule full. He helped develop Disney Plus shows Eyes of Wakanda and Ironheart, on top of writing and directing Sinners, an original vampire horror set in the deep south of the US in the early 1930s, led by frequent collaborator Michael B Jordan.

His use of the term "next movie" isn't incidental either, as he's been working on his reboot of The X-Files since completing work on Sinners. Lips remain sealed on the status of that, but we may hear updates soon if Black Panther 3 is getting off the ground. Avengers: Doomsday arrives next year, with Secret Wars the year after, and the MCU's release plan rests for nobody.

For everything else coming from Kevin Feige and co, keep an eye on our upcoming Marvel movies and shows guide.