Will there be a Black Panther 3? Everything we know so far

She told Variety: "I think it's already in the works. You know, we just had a terrific two years of bringing it out, and everybody coming together to support it. We need a little bit of a break. We need to regroup and Ryan [Coogler] needs to get back into the lab. so it's going to take a while, but [I'm] really excited for you guys to see that."

However, more recently, she's clarified that any plans are still very much in their early stages and nothing is confirmed.

Wright told Buzzfeed: "What I tried to say, maybe I didn't do it clearly enough, to clarify, there is always the hope that you would have another film, especially in a franchise.

"If there is to be another film, which I hope there will be, I think there will be; it takes time to make it; you have to go through the script process."

She added that director Ryan Coogler "needs rest to think of what to put together for the next one" and that she plans to focus on other projects for now.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had a tough job on its hands following the death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, with the script undergoing multiple rewrites ahead of filming.

But the film was a critical and commercial success, not to mention an awards contender too, with the film bagging five Oscar nominations – Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Song, Best Costume Design, Make-up & Hairstyling, and Best Visual Effects.

Angela Bassett's performance as Queen Ramonda received particular acclaim from critics and fans alike.

While Black Panther 3 has yet to be officially confirmed by Marvel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever certainly leaves the door open to future sequels. So, read on for everything we know so far about Black Panther 3.

Will there be a Black Panther 3?

Before the release of Wakanda Forever, there had been no confirmation regarding a third Black Panther film, but the movie ends with a message that reads "Black Panther will return", so it now seems all but certain that we will be getting another instalment.

Coogler recently addressed whether he’d complete the trilogy by directing Black Panther 3.

Speaking with the New York Times, he said: "I feel blessed that I have the opportunity to work on these movies, bro. When I got asked to do the first one, it was like a moving train. I thank God every day that I was able to jump on it and meet these people, these actors, and to meet Chadwick during some of the last years of his life."

Asked about Black Panther 3, he added: "I’ll do it as long as folks will have me. But I think it’s bigger than just me or Joe. Between the first and second movie, we made $2 billion at the box office, which is what matters the most to corporations. So I hope that it continues, man. I hope people are still making movies about Wakanda long after we’re gone."

In late October 2022, producer Nate Moore explained to Collider: "We really want to see how audiences receive the film, and I think Ryan [Coogler] is really interested to see how the film plays before we decide."

He added: "There are certainly ideas we've floated around of what a third film could be if we get to make it. But until the movie comes out, we're a bit superstitious in that way. We don't want to count our chickens, because you never know what's going to happen."

In a separate interview with Gizmodo, Coogler himself admitted that he had not yet "thought about" what the future holds in terms of further Black Panther movies.

"When it comes to writing and directing, I’m not the world’s greatest multitasker," he said. "I kind of got to do what is in front of me and be singular. When it comes to producing, I’m more geared up to be able to do multiple things. And to plan things, I’ve got a great production company and fantastic collaborators that can help move things along.

"But when it comes to writing, and in this case, co-writing and directing, I’ve got to finish what’s in front of me and then and then think of all that is happening after that."

In the meantime, we do know that we'll be heading back to Wakanda for a Disney Plus TV show, although further details about that series – including a title and a release date – are not yet available.

Danai Gurira will be reprising her role as Okoye in the series, with some reports suggesting that it could serve as an origin story for the character.

Black Panther 3 release date speculation

We're still a long way off from knowing a release date, but given that most of Marvel Studios' releases for the next couple of years have already been announced, we can safely assume that it will be rather a while until the next Black Panther movie arrives, if it does get the go-ahead as expected.

It seems possible that we could have to wait until Phase 7 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe until we get a Black Panther 3, which could mean waiting until late 2026. That would be the same four-year wait as there was between the first two Black Panther films.

That said, there are still three unannounced Phase 6 projects – currently earmarked for release on 25th July 2025, 7th November 2025, and 13th February 2026 respectively – so it's still possible Black Panther 3 could take one of those slots. We'll keep you updated with all the latest news right on this page.

Black Panther 3 plot: What could it be about?

It's still far too early to make any grand pronouncements about what the plot of the next Black Panther film will be – even if a threequel is officially announced soon, specific plot details are likely to be kept under wraps until very close to its eventual release.

However, there are plenty of directions a new film could go in, with the ending of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leaving plenty of unanswered questions, particularly regarding the uneasy alliance that has been struck between Namor and the Wakandans.

Towards the end of Wakanda Forever, Namor tells his cousin Namora that he’s playing the long game, and one day the world will turn on Wakanda leaving Talokan as its only ally, so perhaps a third film could see this prediction come true.

There's also the matter of Toussiant, Nakia and T'Challa's son who is introduced in the post-credits scene at the end of Wakanda Forever, explaining to Shuri that he is Prince T’Challa, son of King T’Challa. A third film seems very likely to focus on this character at least to some extent – although quite how big a role he will play is still up for debate at this point.

Black Panther 3 cast: Who could return?

We'd expect most of the main players from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to return in a third outing, so we can definitely expect to see more of the likes of Letitia Wright as Shuri, Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Winston Duke as M'Baku and Tenoch Huerta as Namor – who has now formed an uneasy alliance with the Wakandans.

Other stars who could be back include Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart, Michaela Coel as Aneka, and Mabel Cadena as Namora, while there's also a chance that some characters from the previous Black Panther film such as Daniel Kaluuya's W'Kabi could return after sitting out this entry.

And of course, with the MCU's list of characters growing at an increasingly fast rate, there's every chance that numerous other big-name stars – who are either already in the MCU or are set to join at some point in the future – could play a part as well. We'll post any updates here as and when we catch wind of them.

Meanwhile, one star who seems unlikely to return is Angela Bassett, after her character Ramonda was killed off in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Is there a Black Panther 3 trailer?

Not yet, unfortunately.

There is likely to be a very long wait before any trailer is made available, but as soon as one is released we'll post it right here.

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