Denzel Washington Could Make His Marvel Debut In Black Panther 3

Denzel Washington could make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in "Black Panther 3," as the actor has revealed to the "Today" show. His part in the ongoing saga remains unknown, but the two-time Oscar winner says that Ryan Coogler, who helmed the first two "Black Panther" films, is penning a part specifically for him.

"I'm about to play Othello at 70," Washington told "Today" while talking about what the future holds for his career. "After that I'm playing Hannibal. After that, I've been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler's writing a part for me in the next 'Black Panther.'" The seasoned actor noted in the same interview that he's choosing his next films carefully, as he will probably only be able to make so many more in his lifetime. "At this point in my career, I'm only interested in working with the best," Washington explained. "I don't know how many more films I'm gonna make, it's probably not that many. I want to do things I haven't done."

While some people will no doubt be bothered by Washington's choice to spend some of his finite time working on a superhero movie, he's right that Coogler is one of the best filmmakers active today. Everything he's worked on — from his galvanizing, humanizing debut "Fruitvale Station" to his energetic "Rocky" franchise restart "Creed" to the story of T'Challa and Wakanda — has been fantastic. The latest "Black Panther" film, "Wakanda Forever," was overstuffed with larger in-universe connective tissue, but it also had style and a big heart, ultimately serving as a beautiful memorial for the franchise's late star Chadwick Boseman and introducing the son of T'Challa in an emotional credits scene.

Washington's off-the-cuff announcement is the first news we've heard about a third "Black Panther" film in a while. The movie is not officially on Marvel's phase 5 or 6 slates, though there is an animated series called "Eyes of Wakanda" in the works. Back in 2022, "Black Panther" franchise star Letitia Wright said that she thought the third movie was "already in the works," but that the cast needed a break and Coogler needed to "get back into the lab." She later clarified that she has hopes for a third film, but that it's not official yet.

The "Gladiator II" star's new statement seemingly makes "Black Panther 3" official, and sets the stage for a more star-studded cast than ever. In addition to Wright and Boseman, previous "Black Panther" castmates have included Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Lupita N'yongo, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, and Tenoch Huerta. The upcoming movie does not yet have a release date.