Ryan Coogler names cinema’s greatest living actor: “Forget about it”
He might feel like a relatively new presence in Hollywood, but Ryan Coogler has already made a huge impact. His movie Creed, a spin-off of the ‘Rocky’ series, brought a brand new audience to the characters and cemented Michael B. Jordan, his frequent collaborator, as a leading man. As a producer, he has lent his weight to projects like Judas and the Black Messiah and Space Jam: A New Legacy, and he recently took over the box office with his fifth directorial effort, Sinners.
In terms of importance, however, it’s hard to argue that his most important work isn’t Black Panther. Released in 2018, this instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a milestone for Black cinema. It became the first superhero movie to feature a mostly Black cast and, crucially, it raked in the cash. When all was said and done, the film grossed over $1billion.
The success of the film, plus the title character’s continued involvement in the franchise, led to a sequel in 2022. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever wasn’t as good as its predecessor, but it was praised for its handling of the death of series lead Chadwick Boseman, who passed away before the movie was completed. It also did gangbusters financially, grossing a total of $859million. The series had a significant amount of momentum behind it, but with Boseman’s death, questions remained over its future.
Those questions were answered when it was revealed that the ‘Black Panther’ franchise would be continuing. The Disney+ series Ironheart, due for release in June 2025, is supposedly going to follow on from the events of Wakanda Forever. This will be done through the character of RiRi Williams, who was played by Dominique Thorne in the sequel movie. There was even more good news when rumours began to swirl about a third ‘Black Panther’ film was in the works. Coogler himself has spoken about the project, including the exciting prospect of one of Hollywood’s biggest names being involved.
Speaking with Carmelo Anthony on his show 7pm in Brooklyn, the director responded to comments that Denzel Washington had made about his possible inclusion in the film. He was surprised that the A-lister had gone public with the information, but seemed relieved that he didn’t have to contain his excitement any longer. “I’ve been trying to work with him since day one,” Coogler said of the double-Oscar winner (via Screen Rant). “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, and I was surprised when he mentioned it. But it’s not like it’s not true.”
This wouldn’t be the first time Washington has joined an acclaimed series for one of its sequels. In 2024, he stole the show in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, flaunting his talents as the theatrical villain Macrinus. If the speculation is true, this would mark Washington’s first ever appearance in a superhero flick, an increasing rarity in this era of film.
While nothing has been formally announced about Black Panther 3 just yet, the number of high-profile people openly discussing it is definitely a good sign. The idea of Coogler and Washington, two symbols of Black cinema from different ages, working together, is tantalising. Fingers crossed the overall result turns out better than Gladiator II.
