Filmmaker Ryan Coogler is all set to return to the screens with what is expected to be yet another brilliant addition to the Black Panther saga, which is currently in the works. And, this time around, his return will be accompanied by none other than the legendary Denzel Washington’s debut in the respective live-action lore set in Wakanda.
Of course, when the news about the same broke out, fans were truly over the moon to know that such a magnificent talent was going to make his way into the universe that the late beloved Chadwick Boseman helped create. But, turns out, they aren’t the only ones super pumped about it, for even Coogler ostensibly shares that sentiment with them.
Ryan Coogler addresses Denzel Washington joining Black Panther 3
Ever since Washington let slip back in November 2024 that Coogler was writing a part for him in the next Black Panther installment, the entire fandom has been in tremendous buzz, anticipating the release of the flick more desperately than ever. As it turns out, even the filmmaker himself is super pumped about the legend’s addition to the same.
During a recent appearance on the latest episode of the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast with host Carmelo Anthony, Coogler got candid about the same, confessing how working with The Equalizer star had actually been on his bucket list for quite a while now. If anything, the director simply couldn’t stop gushing in praise of Denzel Washington.
Expressing his sincere appreciation of the veteran and how this feels like a full-circle moment to him, Ryan Coogler said:
Denzel is family at this point… I’ve been trying to work with him since day one. 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.
In fact, Coogler even shared how amazed he was to learn that Washington, 70, had let slip late last year about his inclusion in Black Panther 3. “I was surprised when he mentioned it, but it’s not like it’s not true,” Coogler told host Anthony. So did the filmmaker have a fan-boy moment around Washington? Well, it certainly seems like it!
Denzel Washington said he’s “only interested in working with the best” filmmakers
On the one hand, while Ryan Coogler got candid about being such a massive fan of Denzel Washington, on the other hand, the actor himself indirectly praised the very director who has helmed all the Black Panther flicks. This happened when he revealed Coogler was writing a role for him in the third installment of his acclaimed film series.
Appearing on the Today Show in 2024, while talking about his upcoming projects and listing Black Panther 3 among them, he said,
For me, it’s about the filmmakers. Especially at this point in my career, I am only interested in working with the best. I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. It’s probably not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done.
Needless to say, that makes it more than just clear that Washington must have been pretty interested in working with Coogler in the film series he brought to life with the late Chadwick Boseman. And, to be frank, who wouldn’t be interested in working with a filmmaker with numerous Academy Awards, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes nods and wins?
Black Panther 3 is set to hit the screens in February 2028.
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