Marvel"s Recent Comments About Denzel Washington"s Black Panther 3 Casting Explain Exactly Why We Don"t Know Who He"ll Be Playing

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The upcoming Black Panther 3 will include Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, and while prospective viewers continue to wonder who he will be playing, his role remains unknown. 2018’s Black Panther was one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most successful films, but the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, who played the titular role in three additional MCU movies, forever changed the Black Panther sub-franchise. Rather than recasting T"Challa, 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever revealed that he died in-universe and the Black Panther mantle was passed down to Shuri.
Thus far, very little is known about the MCU"s Black Panther 3. The movie is most likely in the earliest stages of development, and it is reasonable to expect Letitia Wright to reprise her role as Shuri. In November 2024, Denzel Washington revealed that he would be joining the cast of Black Panther 3, which was an exciting development for prospective viewers, given Washington’s accolades. Naturally, this announcement has led to numerous theories as to which character from the Black Panther mythos (or larger Marvel universe) that Washington might be playing.
Denzel Washington's Black Panther 3 Comments Are A Major Deal For The MCU

As revealed in an interview with The Today Show, Denzel Washington noted that his role in the upcoming Black Panther 3 was being crafted by Ryan Coogler, who directed and wrote 2018’s Black Panther and Wakanda Forever. Washington stated:

“Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.”

Washington’s comment implies that Coogler is treating his forthcoming role with a particular amount of care, adding to the excitement of the announcement, naturally. These prospective plans to actively prepare a role for the actor - and to thus craft the script with the intention of fully embracing bringing such a lauded and talented actor into the MCU timeline - tease promising things for both the third Black Panther movie and for Washington"s role within the franchise, though they also serve to make the question of who the perfect Marvel casting could be here all the more pressing.
Marvel's Recent Black Panther 3 Comments Explain Why Denzel Washington's Casting Isn't Clear Yet

Custom Image by Kai Young In a February 2025 interview with Screen Rant, Black Panther 3 producer Nate Moore spoke about the upcoming film and Denzel Washington’s casting. While Moore did not reveal too much about the film or Washington’s role, he did slightly narrow down the potential characters Washington might be playing in Black Panther 3. Moore stated:

“If that manifests, which we"re gonna try, I think it will probably be somebody from canon. Who that is, is early days. We honestly haven"t had really substantive creative conversations with Ryan, mostly because he"s finishing his film Sinners, which is gonna come out this year and is gonna be great. So again it"s too early to say, but obviously if an actor of the caliber of Denzel Washington wants in, we"re gonna figure out a way to make that happen.”

What Moore’s comments reveal is that Washington’s role has seemingly not been decided yet, but he will not be playing an original character, in any case. Whoever Denzel Washington plays in Black Panther 3 will be an established character from Marvel lore – likely from the Black Panther comics themselves.
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Black Panther 3 Not Yet Rated Action Superhero Prequel(s) Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe
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