Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to hit theaters this Friday, but it sounds like tentative plans for a follow-up may already be in place.
In Variety's in-depth piece on the Marvel Studios sequel's journey to the screen, Kevin Feige mentions that he has had "conversations" with director Ryan Coogler about potentially helming a third film. It's obviously very early days, but it sounds like some ideas may have been tossed around.
A threequel being given the go-ahead will likely depend on how this movie fares at the box office, but based on the latest numbers, we'd say Marvel/Disney most likely have another mega-hit on their hands.
The trade also confirms that Coogler is developing "multiple series set within the African kingdom for Disney+" via his Proximity Media production company. A 2021 report indicated that one of these shows will serve as an origin story for Danai Gurira's Okoye, and although we have heard rumblings about other Wakanda-set projects being in the works, we have no idea which characters they'll focus on.
A recent rumor claimed that we will see Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) mount some kind of war against Wakanda along with her team of Thunderbolts, so perhaps one of more of these shows will delve into the mounting conflict between the US and the African Nation.
The review embargo for Wakanda Forever lifted yesterday (you'll find our verdict here), and the sequel currently sits at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Are you guys planning on seeing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opening night/weekend?
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, and Alex Livanalli.