Surprise, Surprise!
The expected sequel to Marvel’s blackalicious billion-dollar blockbuster Black Panther is underway.
Only thing: it won’t see the light of day for a few years.
During Saturday’s portion of Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, Calif., Marvel Studios announced Black Panther 2 will hit theaters May 6, 2022.
Although details were scarce, it is a welcome reprieve that Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is back on board to direct the second installment of the 2018 film that awoke and explored black excellence in the Marvel Comic Universe.
“We’re not taking our time, we’re really trying to get it right,” Coogler said of the production schedule.
The only information Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige would give up is that the Creed and Fruitvale Station director has already delivered a treatment, complete with a villain and new title.
The date of Black Panther 2 is the furthest out announced from the forthcoming Marvel film slate, which also includes Black Widow (May 1, 2020), Thor: Love and Thunder (Nov. 5, 2021) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 7, 2021).
Released on Feb. 16, 2018, the original Black Panther has grossed more than $1.3 billion globally.
The star-studded film—featuring Chadwick Boseman in the title role alongside Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, and Michael B. Jordan—made history as the first Marvel film to ever win Academy Awards.
Garnering three trophies, Black Panther made more history with legendary film fashionista Ruth Carter taking home the gold as the first black woman to ever win for Best Costume Design.