The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in an interesting place right now, as we're in the interim between two Phases of movies. The last slate of movies ended with Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Phase Four will kickstart with Black Widow this coming May. Fans are left to speculate about what might come next, as there are still plenty of questions revolving around the schedule of upcoming releases. Chief among them is the contents of Ryan Coogler's Black Panther 2. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like much has moved forward in that regard.
Ryan Coogler's Black Panther sequel is currently set to hit theaters May 6th, 2022, so it's not going to be arriving for a number of years. Still, fans are eager for any hint about the movie's contents, and what direction the Creed filmmaker will take his second adventure in Wakanda. But Disney CEO Bob Iger recently offered up an update, saying that Coogler is only at "just beginning the process of outlining the story". So it doesn't look like the development process has moved forward since we learned of the film's confirmation.
Bob Iger's comments to The Wall Street Journal might be disappointing to the myriad Black Panther fans out there. The first Marvel blockbuster became a significant moment in pop culture history, as the shared universe became a more inclusive and diverse place. The movie made a ton of money at the box office, and T'Challa and the supporting cast like Shuri instantly became fan favorites among the larger shared universe.
Fans were thrilled to hear that Ryan Coogler was returning for the mysterious Black Panther 2. It was his vision that brought the high tech world of Wakanda to life, so moviegoers eager to see what his sophomore attempt will be like. But there isn't going to be any breaking news about the highly anticipated blockbuster, as Coogler hasn't truly dove in to craft the story yet. This echoes comments Kevin Feige recently made about the movie's process, as he shut down rumors about Killmonger's reappearance.
Despite fan reaction, it stands to reason that Ryan Coogler might not be investing all of his time in Black Panther's sequel just yet. The movie isn't arriving until 2022, so the filmmaker has years to develop the story and vision, and make them into a reality. After all, he's got another few projects announced at the moment. One is a TV series called Scenes for Minors, while the movie Wrong Answer will reunite Coogler with Michael B. Jordan for a third collaboration.
Related: Black Panther 2 Expected To Bring Back One Key Supporting Character
I'm personally eager to jump back into Wakanda for Black Panther's sequel, as there are a ton of questions surrounding the characters in the wake of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Chief among them is, who was ruling Wakanda during the five years between T'Challa's dusting and resurrection? Shuri was another victim of Thanos' snap, so his sister couldn't take up the mantle.
The first Black Panther was very focused on the rituals that dictated Wakanda's King, and it seems unlikely that the country was left in anarchy for five long years. While Angela Bassett's Queen Ramonda is a great choice, I doubt she'd engage in the physical conflict for The Throne. So what exactly has Wakanda been doing without its King and technological engineer?
Answers will arrive when Black Panther 2 hits theaters on May 6th, 2022, although fans will be hoping for an earlier update. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
