Even at the best of times, moviemaking is a grueling process. Factor in a $200+ million production, a dauntingly compressed schedule, and the pressure to follow up one of the most well-received blockbusters on top of it all, and it’s easy to see why Ryan Coogler and the rest of the “Black Panther” team would need a long, long vacation after releasing “Wakanda Forever.”
There’s an argument to be made that the sequel probably should’ve been delayed significantly in the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s passing, allowing everyone involved to go through the grieving process and perhaps even figure out a plan to recast T’Challa. By all accounts, that scenario was never even an option, but at least it seems that “Black Panther 3” will be given all the time and space to figure out its story that “Wakanda Forever” was never afforded. Variety recently caught up with Shuri actor Letitia Wright, asking her about the status of the next sequel. According to the star:
“I think it’s already in the works. You know, we just had a terrific two years of 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 little while, but we’re really excited for you guys to see that.”
Granted, the franchise under Kevin Feige’s leadership has always been somewhat fluid, so things can always change on a dime and even actors like Wright may not be privy to such plans. But should this pan out, fans can look forward to more of Wakanda — just not for another few years, at least.