When is the Black Panther 3 release date? Although Black Panther 2 has only just been released, a lot of Marvel fans are already looking ahead to what a third movie could look like. There are a lot of different superheroes and IPs floating around in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s clear to see Black Panther is one of the favourites, with the first movie winning three Academy Awards and the sequel already garnering positive early reviews.
“We really want to see how audiences receive the film, and I think Ryan’s [Coogler, director] really interested to see how the film plays before we decide,” producer Nate Moore told Collider about a possible third Marvel movie. “There are certainly ideas we’ve floated around of what a third film could be if we get to make it. But until the movie comes out, we’re a bit superstitious in that way. We don’t want to count our chickens because you never know what’s going to happen.”
Ryan and Nate might not want to count their chickens, but we at The Digital Fix love piling all our eggs into a basket — so here’s our guide to a speculative Black Panther 3 release date, plot, cast, and more.
Black Panther 3 release date speculation
As of May 2023, we do not know the Black Panther 3 release date. That said, the Black Panther 2 post-credit scene included a title card saying, “Black Panther will return,” while producer Nate Moore definitely seemed interested in making a third Black Panther movie — it’s just whether that happens depends on us.
So, if you want Black Panther 3 to happen, be sure to catch the new movie at the cinema or buy the movie once it’s available for home release. It’s also worth remembering that if a third Black Panther movie is greenlit, the earliest we would probably see it is in 2026.
This is because we should bear in mind the four-year gap between Black Panther and Black Panther 2. Although things like the pandemic and Chadwick’s passing led to the film experiencing some delays, a lot of announcements for MCU’s release slate for the next few years have already happened, and it’s worth bearing in mind that the next few years of Marvel movies are already looking pretty packed. Still, that doesn’t mean we won’t see Shuri or other Wakandans pop up in other superhero movies or Marvel series: especially given their connection to Ironheart.
Black Panther 3 cast speculation
If Black Panther 3 is greenlit, we can expect the return of key Black Panther cast members like Shuri (Letitia Wright), Okoye (Danai Gurira), M’Baku (Winston Duke), and Aneka (Michaela Coel), among others. We might even see Okoye’s “favourite colonizer”, Everett Ross (Martin Freeman). Either way, if we get another movie, here’s who we expect to return.
Black Panther 3 cast speculation
- Letitia Wright as Shuri
- Winston Duke as M’Baku
- Danai Gurira as Okoye
- Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia
- Florence Kasumba as Ayo
- Michaela Coel as Aneka
- Tenoch Huerta as Namor
- Martin Freeman as CIA operative Everett Ross
It’s all well and good knowing who the cast is, but what about their characters? Fear not, as you can find out more about the best Black Panther characters here, or if you want to know more about Wakanda’s special metal, we have an article all about Vibranium.
Black Panther 3 plot speculation
Black Panther 2 left us with a lot of possible ideas for a third movie. With the post-credit scene revealing that T’Challa had a son, it is possible that a future MCU movie might focus on him grown up and ready to take on the Black Panther mantle himself.
However, that seems a long way away, so we’re probably looking too far ahead — Black Panther 3 would most likely focus on Shuri‘s adventures as the new Black Panther, given that Black Panther 2 essentially involved her taking on the mantle for the first time.
With Shuri as Black Panther, there are two Marvel Comics storylines which, judging by the way Phase 5 and Phase 6 are being built up, seem most likely to be adapted by Marvel Studios.
One comic book storyline, which is directly related to the Avengers: Secret Wars saga the MCU is building up to, is the growing threat of incursions and their potential to impact Earth-616 and its existence. In New Avengers Volume 3, Namor the Sub-Mariner‘s establishes a task force known as the Cabal.
The group took over Wakanda and used it as a base for their divisive mission of destroying incoming Earths in order to prevent the possibility of incoming incursions. With Shuri being against the Cabal in the comics, this storyline sets the scene for her and Namor to go head to head once again, as the Black Panther’s sacred duty is to protect Wakanda.
Another comic book storyline in which the Black Panther is heavily involved in is Doomwar, where Deadpool assembles a team of Marvel heroes, including the Black Panther, to help him take down Doctor Doom.
It’s been all but confirmed that Doctor Doom will be heading to the MCU, given his involvement with both Secret Wars storylines and his status as the arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four (who are also heading to the MCU with their own solo movie).
We also know that Ryan Coogler is a big fan of Doctor Doom, so much so that many asked: is Doctor Doom in Black Panther 2? Also, in the comics, he and Namor aren’t exactly on… great terms, given that Doom turned down Namor’s offer to team up and save Earth-616 from the ongoing threat of incursions.
So, we’re betting the establishment of the Cabal, Doomwar, or some kind of mixture of the two will be the focus of a third Black Panther movie, or at least will play a part in Phase 5 or 6 movies or Marvel series.
If you want more film goodness, check out our list of the best movies ever made, or we have a guide to all the new movies coming in 2023. Not only that, we’ve done deep dives into all the upcoming superhero films, so here’s everything you need to know about the Loki season 2 release date and The Marvels release date.
