Given the extraordinary critical and commercial success of Marvel Studios' latest superhero blockbuster Black Panther, it was practically a foregone conclusion that a sequel would inevitably be greenlit. However, just in case there was any lingering doubt, fans can now rest assured, as Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has officially confirmed that not only is a sequel in the cards but that the studio has already had discussions about the direction of the film.

"Nothing specific to reveal, other than to say we absolutely will do that," Feige told Entertainment Weekly when asked what he could disclose about plans for a Black Panther sequel. "One of the favorite pastimes at Marvel Studios is sitting around on a Part One and talking and dreaming about what we would do in a Part Two. There have been plenty of those conversations as we were putting together the first Black Panther. We have ideas and a pretty solid direction on where we want to head with the second one."

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Until now, a Black Panther sequel was expected, but not guaranteed. However, Feige has already gone on the record to express his interest in bringing director Ryan Coogler back onboard to helm the project, should it come to fruition.

After earning over $500 million in North America, Black Panther earned a spot amongst the top ten highest grossing films of all time at the domestic box office. The film has continued to break records at the box office since its release, having already earned $897 million worldwide in just a few short weeks, putting it in a favorable position to earn an impressive $1 billion worldwide.

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Black Panther has been met with critical acclaim since its release in February, which has certainly helped to raise its total box office gains. The film currently holds a 97 percent on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-rated movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. These combined accolades have already prompted Disney to begin planning an Oscar campaign for the film, including a push for the coveted Best Picture award. Should Black Panther earn that nomination, it would become the first superhero feature to do so.

In theaters now, director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue, Winston Duke as M’Baku and Forest Whitaker as Zuri.