Marvel producer Nate Moore is leaving Marvel Studios soon and will transition to producing movies outside the superhero domain. However, given that he produced the upcoming Marvel film, “Captain America: Brave New World,” Moore is doing something of a victory lap and talking to many outlets about his work on the film.
Moore is also one of the key producers of the “Black Panther” franchise, and he’s been speaking out about all the rumors swirling around the film.
One report claimed Marvel was considering recasting the role of T’Challa, the original Black Panther, played by the late Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in 2020.
Moore didn’t outright deny it per se, but he said most of the rumors are untrue because nothing has been settled on.
“It is, honestly, so early,” Moore told Entertainment Weekly in an interview about “Captain America: Brave New World.” “We’ve had a couple of conversations with [‘Black Panther’ franchise director] Ryan Coogler, our filmmaker who’s coming back, but he’s finishing up his film.”
The film Moore is referring to and that Coogler is currently finishing is “Sinners,” a vampire horror film set during the Prohibition era that reteams him with longtime collaborator Michael B. Jordan.
“We are still figuring out again exactly what [the next] ‘Avengers’ [movie] is going to be, so we haven’t had any real story conversations,” Moore continued. “I know there’s been a lot of chatter online about casting and villains. None of that’s true. We just haven’t gotten there yet, to be honest, but I am very excited to start those conversations hopefully this year.”
As for recasting?
“We don’t know what the story is, so I couldn’t tell you whether or not we’re open to recasting,” he said. “It certainly wasn’t our instinct for ‘Wakanda Forever.’ I’ll never say never to anything, but it’s too early to talk about any of that stuff. We have to figure out what the story’s going to be.”
And Denzel Washington showing up in “Black Panther 3” as a villain? Well, Washington let the cat out of the bag accidentally, and when it became news worldwide, the actor did a mea culpa and called Coogler to apologize for spoiling the surprise.
“I called him the other day. I called him to apologize,” Washington said recently. “That’s right. I called him. I said, ‘I’m sorry, man.’ He’s like, ‘No, man, it’s all good.’ I FaceTimed, and right there next to him was his lady. They were editing. They were hanging out.”
Moore’s thoughts on the Denzel casting “news”? Well, he remains non-committal about it right now.
“When we saw that story, I know Ryan was like, ‘Well, what is he saying?’ We should be so lucky to have Denzel in the MCU,” Moore said. “But until we figure out what that movie is, again, nothing is guaranteed. But if you’re asking me would I love to have Denzel in Black Panther 3, obviously that guy, he is a legend.”
Something tells me if Denzel is eager to be in your movie—and Washington said he told Coogler, “Just write it! Whatever you write, I’ll do it”— that Marvel and the filmmaker will figure it out.
Fellow “Black Panther” series co-star Lupita Nyong’o was also asked about recasting T’Challa and Washington’s potential entrance into the franchise, and she just said none of it’s real until it’s real—essentially.
“Well, I won’t believe it until I hear it from Ryan himself because what if Denzel has a role and I don’t?” she told EW in a separate interview. “Let me stay humble and ignorant until the leader of the pack actually says something.”
“Honestly, I do not put any energy into trying to imagine a future that I have no control of,” she continued. “So we’ll see. And when we know more, we’ll know more.” Wise words. “Black Panther 3” is currently not on the Marvel docket and at this point, 2027 is probably the earliest it could arrive, but that also could be too generous, we’ll see.
