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Black Panther director Ryan Coogler mistaken for bank robber

Ryan Coogler, the director of the Marvel movie Black Panther 2, was wrongfully detained after being mistaken for a bank robber in Atlanta

Black Panther Ryan Coogler director mistaken for bank robber

Ryan Coogler, the director of the upcoming MCU movie Black Panther 2, was recently mistaken for a robber when trying to withdraw money from his account. The filmmaker was wrongly detained by Atlanta police back in January 2022, after a bank teller suspected him of being a thief.

What led to these wild events, you ask? Well, according to a police report obtained by TMZ, it all began when Coogler strolled into his bank, while wearing sunglasses and a face mask, and slipped the bank teller a note with written instructions on it. TMZ reports that the content of the note reads as follows: “I would like to withdraw $12,000 cash from my checking account. Please do the money count somewhere else. I’d like to be discreet.”

Finding the exchange suspicious, the teller called the police, believing that a robbery was taking place. Coogler was then put in handcuffs before being released after the truth of the situation came to light. The filmmaker went on to request the badge numbers of the officers involved.

When asked about the experience, Coogler told TMZ that while he doesn’t condone the teller’s actions, he and the bank have settled the situation privately. “This situation should never have happened,” the filmmaker said. “However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction, and we have moved on.”

Coogler is currently in Atlanta filming the sequel to the 2018 Marvel hit Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This incident isn’t the first complication to arise during the upcoming action movie’s production either. Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri, previously suffered an injury on set, and due to multiple Covid-19 complications, the movie has suffered through delays.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently scheduled to come out on November 11, 2022. For more MCU magic, here is our guide to Marvel Phase 4.