Following months of rumors about his involvement, Marvel has confirmed that "Creed" director Ryan Coogler will helm "Black Panther."

"We are fortunate to have such an esteemed filmmaker join the Marvel family," producer Kevin Feige told Marvel.com. "The talents Ryan showcased in his first two films easily made him our top choice to direct 'Black Panther.' Many fans have waited a long time to see Black Panther in his own film, and with Ryan we know we've found the perfect director to bring T'Challa's story to life."

Reports have attached Coogler to "Black Panther" since October. A relatively new filmmaker, the 29-year-old Coogler has just two features to his credit: the lauded 2013 low-budget drama "Fruitvale Station" and now "Creed," both starring Michael B. Jordan.

Late last year, Coogler commented on the importance of the director's race when it comes to "Black Panther," explaining, "Perspective is so important in art. It's an important thing. That's not to say that you can't work outside yourself. When I was coming up, I made movies about things that were close to me; I made movies about things that weren't close to me. But I definitely think that it helps when you are close to a subject. Like, I was an athlete for most of my life before I was a filmmaker. And that helped to inform me when writing this script [for 'Creed'], when directing. Having had those types of experiences helped me inform this process."

Black Panther will make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War" before headlining his own film on February 16, 2018.