To date, many great filmmakers have contributed to the canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but few have earned acclaim on the level of Ryan Coogler. In 2018, Black Panther not only earned rave reviews, but became the first MCU title to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. With Coogler’s latest Marvel movie, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, set to hit theaters in just a few days, many fans are hoping that the filmmaker sticks with the franchise for a long time and perhaps even takes the helm of an upcoming Avengers blockbuster – but he’s not ready to commit to anything until his latest work is released.
I sat down with Ryan Coogler this past weekend during the Los Angeles press day for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and while we touched on many subjects (stay tuned for more stories here on CinemaBlend!), our conversation concluded with talk about the future. I asked if directing an upcoming Avengers project was something that he was interested in, and he explained that his personal skills in regard to multitasking prevent him from saying anything committal:
That's a great question. How I work, you know, like personally, and hopefully, no offense: I can, as a writer and director, I can only like do what's in front of me, you know what I'm saying? I'm very poor at multitasking when it comes to that, you know? I've never really been successful at multitasking. Usually if I'm trying to figure out something else while I'm doing something, the thing I'm doing suffers, you know? So I like to stay focused on this, get this movie out into the world, and then I'll start thinking about what I want to do next, if anything anytime soon, you know? A lot went into this one.
“A lot went into this one” is obviously an understatement, and so his point is very much appreciated. Ryan Coogler’s deal with Marvel to make Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dates back to October 2018, which means that he is coming to the end of a four year journey with the project. Making the movie is not only a massive undertaking unto itself (especially multi-million dollar blockbusters), but this is also a work that was made with a great deal of emotional energy following the passing of Chadwick Boseman in August 2020. The writer/director clearly put his everything into the making of the 2022 movie, and it’s understandable that doing so meant hyper-focusing on the task at hand and not thinking about “next.”
What will happen after November 11 when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters? We’ll have to wait and see. The next Avengers movie, 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, is already set to be made by Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings’ Destin Daniel Cretton, but 2026’s Avengers: Secret Wars remains a project without a director.
Check out our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV Shows features to learn about all of the projects that are currently in the works for the MCU, and scope out our Marvel Movies In Order guide and our Marvel Movies Ranking as you get hyped for the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
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