'Black Panther 2': Ryan Coogler Returning to Write and Direct

In a report that should surprise virtually nobody, Black Panther's Ryan Coogler is officially signed to return for Black Panther 2 as both writer and director.

Coogler was an instrumental factor in getting the first Black Panther onto the screen, and was the primary visionary behind that world of Wakanda, its Marvel Comics characters, and the version of breakout villain Erik Killmonger as portrayed by Michael B. Jordan. It would have been a major upset to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe if Coogler had been dropped or moved on to a different project, so hearing this confirmation of creative continuity from The Hollywood Reporter will be welcome news to many.

The report notes that while Coogler's return was largely expected to happen, the timing of when he would be returning was the major question. Marvel Studios recently put out an updated release schedule for its 2019 - 2022 movies, and many fans pointed to a conspicuous-looking date in February 2021 as the window for when Black Panther 2 would be slated for release. THR notes the following, which definitely seems to gel with that proposed scenario:

"Sources say the plan at this stage is for Coogler to write next year with an eye to start production in either late 2019 or early 2020. Marvel and parent company Disney, however, have not made any official announcements about Marvel's slate of movies beyond the release of the next Avengers movie in May 2019 and a Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel in July — and plans could shift."

Coogler isn't exactly sitting by the phone waiting for projects after he turned Black Panther into a $1.3 billion-dollar success story. Coogler will team with his Black Panther star and regular collaborator Michael B. Jordan for the true-life drama Wrong Answer, based on the New Yorker article about a math teacher who altered students test scores in order to secure funding for the school. That script is being worked on by acclaimed author and Black Panther comic book writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coogler has also expanded his portfolio to include being a producer, with his name now attached to Creed II, the highly anticipated sequel to his breakout Rocky spinoff, as well as LeBron James' upcoming sequel to Space Jam. Once that slate is a bit more clear, work on Black Panther 2 should begin.

Avengers: Infinity War is now available as a digital download and on Blu-ray and DVD. Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, Avengers 4 on May 3, 2019, and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5, 2019.