Director Ryan Coogler has confirmed he’s writing a part for Denzel Washington in Black Panther 3.
Appearing on the newest episode of the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Coogler said getting Washington in front of the camera has long been on his bucket list.
“Denzel is family at this point… I’ve been trying to work with him since day one,” the Black Panther filmmaker told podcast host Carmelo Anthony. “I think he’s the greatest living actor, and in terms of what he means to our culture, forget about it. I’ve been talking to him about this for a long time.”
Related: ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Teaser – Denzel Washington, A$AP Rocky Team Up for Spike Lee Joint
Washington himself has talked about being in Coogler’s upcoming film.
He mentioned it during a November 2024 interview on the Australian version of Today, stating that he and Coogler were in talks about the film. “At this point in my career, I’m only interested in working with the best,” Washington said at the time.
Coogler wasn’t expecting Washington to leak the news.
“I was surprised when he mentioned it, but it’s not like it’s not true,” Coogler told Anthony.
Meanwhile, Washington’s next film is Highest 2 Lowest with director Spike Lee.
Coogler is among those eagerly awaiting that thriller.
“I’m so hyped for this,” he said of the film slated for release in August 2025.
“That trailer — the monologue, Denzel [is] in rare form. I just can’t put words to how excited I am, man, because when [Lee] and Denzel get together, it’s always a masterpiece,” he said.
Black Panther 3 is anticipated to be released in theaters in February 2028, per IMDb. The original Black Panther was released in January 2018, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrived in November 2022.
Combined, the two films earned more than $2.1 billion at the worldwide box office, according to The-Numbers.com.
Listen to the interview with Ryan Coogler below. He discusses Washington at the 1:03:33 mark.
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
