Marvel fans, get excited, Ryan Coogler has confirmed that Black Panther 3 is getting closer to being made. Yes, the Creed director admitted that the upcoming Marvel movie is the next film he plans to make. However, there’s a reason why I’m not convinced that this means the film will be made right away.
Ryan Coogler Confirmed That Black Panther 3 Is His Next Movie
In the midst of the success of Sinners on the 2025 movie schedule, Ryan Coogler is being asked about what he’s going to work on next. During an interview with Deadline, he was specifically asked “how quickly” he’ll do Black Panther 3. In response, he said:
If it was anybody but you, I would say ‘I can neither confirm nor deny.’ But we’re working on it. We’re working on it hard.
Then, when Coogler was asked if Black Panther 3 was up next for him, the director took a beat to think about it before saying:
Um, yes, it’s the next movie.
Ryan Coogler confirms ‘Black Panther 3’ is his next film #DeadlineContenders pic.twitter.com/15OH9hpMPYNovember 15, 2025
I think the keyword there is “movie.” He didn’t say it was his next project in general. That got me thinking about a TV show Coogler is working on that he said was “immediately next” for him a few months ago.
Ryan Coogler Is Also Working On An X-Files TV Show
Now, get excited for that confirmation, because it is wonderful news. However, make sure to temper your expectations. I couldn’t help but notice how intentionally Coogler said that Black Panther 3 will be his next movie. That’s because he’s also currently working on a TV show, and I’m wondering if that will come first.
I write that because, when Coogler appeared on Last Podcast On The Left back in April, he was asked, “What’s next?” His response was not Black Panther, it was X-Files. Specifically, he said:
I’m working on X-Files, bro…that’s what’s immediately next.
During his appearance, he confirmed that he had spoken to Gillian Anderson about the project, and his excitement about what’s coming down the line was palpable. He said:
I’ve been excited about that for a long time, and I’m fired up to get back to it.
So, it’s possible that Black Panther 3 will not be the next project he works on. It seems like X-Files could be, and if that’s the case, that likely means we’ll have to wait a while to go back to Wakanda.
For context, news broke about Coogler’s X-Files project in 2023, and it’s been in development since. Now, based on the Sinners’ director’s past comments, it seems like it will be a top priority for him. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if that comes before Black Panther 3.
Plus, there’s no denying the fact that Marvel movies take a while to make, and while Coogler has spoken about Black Panther 3 before, it currently does not have a release date, and we know basically nothing about it (other than Denzel Washington said he’ll have a role in it). There have been rumors that Black Panther 3 could be released in early 2028, with production set for 2027. However, again, none of that is confirmed.
All this is to say, hold tight, everyone. Ryan Coogler is a busy man with multiple projects, including a TV show, on the horizon. So, while he said this highly anticipated MCU flick will be his next movie, it’s possible that he has other projects to make before that, like the new X-Files show.
Again, none of that is fully confirmed and anything can happen, though. So, we’ll just have to wait and see what Ryan Coogler decides to work on next. In the meantime, we’ll keep you posted on the future of Black Panther, and you can stream the first two movies with a Disney+ subscription.