Black Panther 3 is in development, according to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Letitia Wright.
Wright indicated that production has started on the third installment in Marvel Studios' Black Panther franchise during a red carpet interview with Variety. "I think it's already in the works," she said. "You know, we just had a terrific two years of just bringing it out and everybody coming together to support it. We need a little bit of a break, we need to regroup, and [director] Ryan [Coogler] needs to get back into the lab, so it's going to take a while, but really excited for you guys to see that." It's worth noting that Marvel Studios is yet to officially confirm that Black Panther 3 is indeed happening, which means Wright's comments should be taken with a grain of salt for now.
That said, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever executive producer Nate Moore confirmed shortly before the film's release that Marvel Studios was already considering plans for a sequel. Moore said that the studio would gauge moviegoers' response to Wakanda Forever before deciding whether a direct follow-up was the best way to continue the Black Panther story. "There are certainly ideas we've floated around of what a third film could be if we get to make it," he said. "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."
Marvel VP on Black Panther 3's Title
In the same interview, Moore also revealed that "Wakanda Forever" was almost held back as a potential subtitle for Black Panther 3. The executive producer explained that this was because of the finality inherent to the subtitle, which felt more appropriate for the concluding entry in a trilogy. Ultimately, though, Coogler and Marvel Studios decided that "Wakanda Forever" subtitle represented the key themes of the second Black Panther movie so well that it was the only choice. "It's a story about legacy, it's a story about persistence," Moore said. "And 'Wakanda Forever' says all those things."
While Moore hasn't discussed Black Panther 3 since then, he did previously suggest that fans eager for a Wakanda Forever follow-up should tune in to upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart. "[Ironheart] is a direct sequel to the movie," Moore said. "So, [protagonist] Riri [Williams] is carrying the experiences she had in this movie back home to MIT and there's some interesting repercussions to her adventures that will set her on a fun course."
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives on Disney+ on Feb. 1, 2023.
Source: Variety, via Twitter