Denzel Washington seems to be nearing the end of his acting career, as the revered star has been hinting at retirement while promoting his latest film, Gladiator II. His comments suggest there’s not much more he wants to do as a thespian. Despite that, he’s not done yet and still has a number of roles he wants to play before hanging it up. Washington recently detailed his upcoming projects and, surprisingly, he revealed that Black Panther 3 is on the docket. With that, past comments that Chadwick Boseman shared about him are resurfacing.
What Exactly Did Denzel Washington Say About Black Panther 3?
It should be noted that while there are a lot of upcoming Marvel movies that have been announced, a third Black Panther film hasn’t been formally confirmed. However, the notion of another installment in Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed superhero franchise being made isn’t all that shocking. What was unexpected, however, was to hear the Equalizer star tell Australia’s The Today Show that he’s circling the film. Amid the interview, which was shared to YouTube, the Oscar winner briefly shared how that gig is coming together:
Ryan Coogler’s writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.
That may not be much information, but the idea of Denzel Washington joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in some capacity is still so exciting. Funny enough, a few years ago Washington and Michael B. Jordan had a fun exchange about the veteran actor possibly entering the MCU. Washington didn’t seem opposed to the idea, while Jordan – who famously played Erik Killmonger in the two BP films – said he “had some ideas for that.” Considering how good the Panther films have been, I can see why Washington would be interested.
As a fan of Mr. Washington, I’m, of course, also excited for what else he has planned. He also revealed that he has a movie with Steve McQueen, King Lear as well as stage and theatrical takes on Othello on his schedule. The Training Day star continues to impress with his range and willingness to try new endeavors. Such a sentiment also applies to the late Chadwick Boseman, who died following a battle with colon cancer in 2020. Boseman’s memory lives on, though, as do the sweet sentiments he shared about Washington.
How Chadwick Boseman Paid Tribute To Denzel Washington
What some may not know is that the T’Challa actor actually owed quite a bit to the Remember the Titans star. It was revealed several years ago that Denzel Washington sponsored Chadwick Boseman while he was a student looking to study at The British American Drama Academy at Oxford for a summer program. It was a kind gesture – and one that prompted Washington to jokingly bust Boseman’s chops over years later.
The 42 star never forgot it, though and, as Empire’s Amon Warmann and others on X have shared, the late Marvel actor acknowledged that generosity while paying tribute to the Philadelphia star during the 47th AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019. Check out the video below, in which the 21 Bridges star shared some very kind words:
Chadwick Boseman and Denzel Washington would eventually end up collaborating before the former’s passing. The 2020 drama film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was produced by Washington, and it marked Boseman’s last official film credit before his death. Later on, Washington recalled Boseman concealing his illness and applauded him for powering through production, even though he wasn’t well. As the veteran actor said, the late, great Boseman was “a man among men.”
With Denzel Washington apparently set to join the Black Panther franchise, it’s somewhat bittersweet that Chadwick Boseman is no longer with us. However, one would think that as was the case with 2022’s Wakanda Forever, Ryan Coogler and co. will seek to honor Boseman’s memory with the eventual threequel. For now, stream the first two films in the franchise while checking out the Marvel movies in order using a Disney+ subscription.
