We are just a couple of days away from the long-awaited release of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and believe me, it’s going to be an absolutely massive film at the box office and fans are going to lose their minds (in a good way, obviously) when they see what Ryan Coogler and Co. have done with the story. Naturally, as with any Marvel Studios film, however, the conversation will quickly change to what the future holds for the “Black Panther” franchise, but also, perhaps more importantly, what happens next for Coogler.
According to a new interview with Variety, as much as Ryan Coogler is proud of his work with Marvel Studios, he’s not sure if his next film will be “Black Panther 3” or something completely different. He does, however, deny that he’s next in line to direct “Avengers: Secret Wars,” despite fans pleading for him to take the job.
“I can tell you definitively I have no idea what I’m doing next,” Coogler said. “It’s very difficult because you’re exhausted and emotionally spent, and I’m trying to give [‘Wakanda Forever’] my full attention. After that, I’ll figure out what’s going on with me. But I think it’s going to be some rest and family time.”
Of course, the first thing he’ll likely have to discuss is whether or not “Black Panther 3” is a possibility. Regardless of what Coogler wants to do, Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, confirms that the “Black Panther” franchise is going to keep going for the foreseeable future.
“I go back to what I said when we decided to make ‘Wakanda Forever’ after losing Chad,” Feige said. “This mythology and this ensemble and these characters deserve to continue and will continue after all of us are gone, I hope, and will continue forever in movies the way it has in comics for 50-plus years.”
However, Feige also admitted that continuing without Coogler “wouldn’t be the preference.”
Before “Black Panther 3,” there’s this little film called “Avengers: Secret Wars.” This is a film that has all the makings of a special event film that could actually eclipse the size and scope of “Avengers: Endgame.” Since the announcement of that film, fans have been hoping to hear that Coogler was onboard to direct. Well, according to Feige and Coogler, this doesn’t sound like something you should bank on.
“Well, I would want Ryan to do anything at any time because he’s a singular talent and a great person to spend years with,” said Feige. “But no, in all honesty, there’ve been no conversations. We’ve not spoken to him about ‘Secret Wars.’”
Coogler was much more concise when asked about the possibility of him directing ‘Secret Wars’ and said, “That’s crazy.”
After watching ‘Wakanda Forever,’ it’s clear that Coogler’s influence on this franchise is undeniable and a huge reason for the success of “Black Panther.” And while it would be really strange to see someone else take the reins of the “Black Panther” film series, it’s clear that Marvel Studios understands that it has something special on its hands and the franchise isn’t going away anytime soon.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” arrives in theaters this Friday.