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Ryan Coogler confirms he's 'working hard' on 'Black Panther 3' — here's everything we've learned

The Sinners director is eager to round off the third film in the Black Panther series

Ryan Coogler is almost a household name these days. Still basking in the glory of his Delta Gothic horror film 'Sinners', the thirty-nine-year-old writer-director now has his sights set firmly on his next project. Deadline recently reported that Coogler has officially confirmed that 'Black Panther 3' is his next directorial venture. As per the report, Coogler was in attendance at Deadline's event, Contenders Film: Los Angeles. While speaking with correspondent Mike Fleming Jr. on the 'Sinners' panel, Coogler was asked about the next projects he had in line. 

The two-time Academy Award nominee went on to state, "If it was anybody but you, I would say, 'I can neither confirm nor deny,' But we’re working on it hard. … Yeah, it's the next movie." Coogler collaborated with the late Chadwick Boseman for the first instalment of 'Black Panther' that was released back in 2018. Boseman had starred as T'Challa for the first time in 2016's 'Captain America'. Boseman then followed this up with his appearances on 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'Avengers: Endgame'. Following Boseman's unfortunate death after he succumbed to colon cancer in 2020, Coogler directed the second film in the trilogy, 'Wakanda Forever', and dedicated it to the late star. 

Coogler has verily come to be recognized as a leading auteur of our age who knows well how to balance the commercial craft of filmmaking with his own uniquely artistic vision. Although he started with the successful indie film 'Fruitvale Station', he soon went on to find blockbuster success with the 'Black Panther' films. Additionally, the recently released 'Sinners' has already established itself as one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time. Coogler is known for his meticulous attention to detail and typically releases a new film every three to four years. 

Apart from Coogler's confessed confirmation, there isn't any official plot synopsis or tentative release window for the upcoming 'Black Panther' threequel movie. According to Empire magazine, a potential release window exists on February 18, 2028, for an unconfirmed Marvel movie, but no one knows for certain whether it would be the third 'Black Panther' film. Notable news in this direction came forward when Denzel Washington revealed being in talks with Coogler for an unnamed role in the upcoming movie. 

While one waits for more news on the upcoming film to be made available, one can only wonder about the potential directions in which the storyline might progress. With Letitia Wright's Shuri having stepped away from the crown, it remains to be seen whether T'Challa Jr. or an unknown hero might step in to fill the vacuum in the upcoming movie.