Marvel has made it official; Ryan Coogler will direct Black Panther in the character’s first solo outing – you may remember we reported on this a couple of weeks ago.
“We are fortunate to have such an esteemed filmmaker join the Marvel family,” says producer Kevin Feige (via Squareyed).
“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.”
But with MGM now locking in a November 2017 release for the Creed sequel, it seems likely that Coogler will have to pass on making the follow-up to that film, which will be disappointing to fans that believed he was the man to breathe exciting new life into the Rocky franchise.
Coogler would be following the footsteps of fellow indie filmmakers Jon Favreau, Joe/Anthony Russo and Joss Whedon in embracing the Marvel Cinematic Universe challenge.
Coogler wrote and directed his first award-winning feature film, “Fruitvale Station,” in 2013. Most recently he directed the critically-acclaimed “Creed,” which earned Sylvester Stallone a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.
Black Panther has been an important character in the Marvel universe for 50 years. He is the king of the technologically-advanced nation of Wakanda, and Panther has served as a member of the Avengers in addition to his many solo adventures.
Currently, Black Panther has a script in progress from Joe Robert Cole and a planned 2018 release date. Creed is released in UK screens on January 15.
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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