The events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as well as general MCU trends, make the recent news of Black Panther 3 in development even more exciting, though it may be some way off. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a movie structured around loss and grief, both in-universe and real life. After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, the movie reveals that his character, King T'Challa, has also died; what that leads to is art-as-life, a poignant tribute to both heroes that reckons with their legacy and ensures it will continue on in the MCU.
That's something Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's story sets up. As well as the death of T'Challa, the movie also introduces a new Black Panther in Shuri, a new MCU "villain" in Namor, and in the post-credits scene, Prince T'Challa, son of King T'Challa and Nakia. The film ends with the promise that "Black Panther will return," which suggests Black Panther 3 will happen, or the character will appear in one of the Avengers movies that will end the Multiverse Saga, and there are several story threads and character arcs for it to build upon in the MCU timeline.
The Latest Black Panther 3 News
Producer Addresses Recasting T'Challa Rumors
There has been little news about Black Panther 3 since the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022, but with the third film in early production, Marvel Studios is starting to open up about the new movie. Most notable are the recent comments from Captain America: Brave New World producer, Nate Moore, addressing the rumors that T'Challa would be recast for Black Panther 3 after the second film addressed his death directly. His statement regarding the rumors is as follows:
The truth is, there’s no truth to those rumors. Never say never to anything, we haven’t really had a lot of creative conversations with Ryan Coogler yet, because he’s finishing his film Sinners, which comes out this year. We’ll get into it later this year, but everything you read online is not true, if for no other reason than we just haven’t started [working on it].
Black Panther 3 Is Confirmed
The Third Film Is In Development
In December 2024, Marvel Studios officially confirmed that Black Panther 3 was in development, following Denzel Washington's statements in an interview about director Ryan Coogler writing a part for him in the third film. The first two Black Panther films were immensely successful both financially and critically, and even with the unfortunate passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, the world of Wakanda is one of the most significant parts of the MCU, making it guaranteed that Marvel wants to keep telling stories from that part of the universe.
Black Panther 3 Release Date
No Release Date Has Been Announced
There has been little news regarding any sort of timeframe to expect Black Panther 3, as it seems that Marvel Studios is turning their focus towards the end of the Multiverse Saga as Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars loom in the distance. It's likely that Black Panther 3 will come out after Avengers: Secret Wars, making a late 2027 date the earliest possible slot, though a 2028 or 2029 release date could very well be possible.
Black Panther 3 Cast
Possible Returning Actors For The Third Film
As of now, there has been no official casting announcements for Black Panther 3 given how early it is in development. That being said, most of the Black Panther cast carried over to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, including Letitia Wright's Shuri, Angela Bassett's Ramonda, Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia, Danai Gurira's Okoye, and Winston Duke's M'Baku. Though Ramonda dies in Wakanda Forever, it seems likely the rest will reprise their roles for Black Panther 3. Namor's (Tenoch Huerta) storyline also seems poised to continue, though it's unclear if it'll be in a Black Panther sequel or elsewhere.
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Letitia Wright |
Shuri |
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Lupita Nyong'o |
Nakia |
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Danai Gurira |
Okoye |
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Winston Duke |
M'Baku |
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Tenoch Huerta |
Namor |
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Denzel Washington |
Unknown |
With Denzel Washington saying that Ryan Coogler is writing a part for him in Black Panther 3, and one of the film's producers saying that they would work with Washington to get a part if he wants to, it seems likely that he will have some sort of role in the film. Which character Denzel Washington could play in Black Panther 3 remains up in the air.
Black Panther 3 Story
A Lot Of Stories The Third Film Could Follow
There are several ways Black Panther: Wakanda Forever sets up the Black Panther 3 story. At the very end of the movie, M'Baku makes a challenge for the throne, and Black Panther 3's story could deal with the fallout of that, whether he becomes King, and what this would mean for Wakanda. Beyond the throne, there's still more to explore with Shuri being the new Black Panther, likely introducing new enemies for her to fight. Even Doctor Doom could continue the trend of secretive nations gaining national attention.
Related
Doctor Doom In Black Panther 3 Would Complete The Franchise's Best Trick
Doctor Doom as the villain in Black Panther 3 would continue the perfect trend established by the first Black Panther film and Wakanda Forever.
With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introducing the Midnight Angels, whose biggest foe in the comics is Doom, he may be a villain option for Black Panther 3. On top of that, there is Prince T'Challa, son of King T'Challa and Nakia. It's unclear exactly what his role would be as he is still a young child, but if the sequel has a considerable time jump it could give him a bigger part to play. He could even join the teased but yet to form MCU Young Avengers.
Interestingly, Letitia Wright has also suggested a potential story avenue for Black Panther 3 to follow up on by mentioning that, in the comics, Shuri "actually takes on a new form in the future... She really never dies, which is really interesting. She has these amazing crazy superpowers, and she's an encyclopedia of information" (via Inverse). Given the "new form" also ties into the events of the 2015 comic Secret Wars, this avenue would likely see the hero's next story take place after Avengers: Secret Wars.
When Will Black Panther Appear Next In The MCU?
The Character Could Return For The Avengers
Shuri as Black Panther may return before Black Panther 3, with a couple of clear options. Avengers: Doomsday will be a major team-up event, and so having Black Panther return for that alongside the rest of the MCU's biggest heroes would make a lot of sense. If not the fifth Avengers film, then Avengers: Secret Wars seems like a likely option.
It's also plausible there could be a Black Panther cameo in Ironheart's Disney+ show, given Shuri and Riri Williams become close in Black Panther: Wakanda, but that would likely be a more limited role. Either way, Black Panther will most likely be seen again before Black Panther 3.
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