Denzel Washington has revealed he will be starring in Black Panther 3, with filmmaker Ryan Coogler writing a role for the Hollywood star before he retires.
Even though Marvel Studios has not confirmed that a third film in the franchise is in the works, Washington spoke to TODAY, an Australian breakfast television program, about the future of his career while he was on the promotional trail for Gladiator 2.
The esteemed actor told journalist Richard Wilkins that he will only star in films that really speak to him. Washington also revealed the list of projects he has in the works, including the third Black Panther film.
Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Washington for comment on Tuesday.
"For me, it's about the filmmaker, especially at this point in my career. I'm only interested in working with the best. I don't know how many more films I'm going to make, it's probably not that many. I want to do things I haven't done," he explained.
"I played Othello at 22, I'm about to play Othello at 70. Uh, after that I'm playing Hannibal. After that, I've been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next Black Panther. After that, I'm going to do the film Othello. After that, I'm going to do King Lear. After that, I'm going to retire."
The first installment in the franchise starred Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa, Lupita Nyong'o as Shuri and Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, among others. The 2018 film garnered critical acclaim and earned more than $1.3 billion at the box office, with Black Panther going on to become one of Marvel's signature franchises.
Boseman died as a result of complications related to colon cancer at age 43 in 2020. The 2022 sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was a tribute to the late actor.
During his speech at the 47th American Film Institute Life Achievement Award ceremony in 2019 honoring Washington, Boseman declared there would be no Black Panther film without the Hollywood star. Boseman revealed that he could only join a "life-changing" acting course because Washington had funded it.
"Many of you already know the story that Mr. Washington, when asked by Phylicia Rashad to join her in assisting nine theater students from Howard University who had been accepted to a summer actor program at the British Academy of Dramatic Acting in Oxford, he gracefully and privately agreed to contribute," he said
"As fate would have it, I was one of the students that he paid for. Imagine receiving the letter that your tuition for that summer was paid for and that your benefactor was none other than the dopest actor on the planet...There is no Black Panther without Denzel Washington."
The actor concluded: "My whole cast, that generation stands on your shoulders, the daily battles won, the thousand territories gained, the many sacrifices you made for the culture on film sets through your career, the things you refused to compromise along the way lay the blueprints for us to follow."
Who Could Denzel Washington Play in 'Black Panther 3'?
Here, Newsweek has broken down the three potential characters Washington could play in the third installment of the Black Panther franchise:
- The Shadow King: Known as Amahl Farouk, the Shadow King is a powerful telepathic mutant who could make a great antagonist in Wakanda. Washington could bring this complex villain to life, challenging Wakanda on both a physical and metaphysical level.
- Achebe: A brilliant yet unhinged adversary from the Black Panther comics, Achebe is a master manipulator with a tragic backstory. Washington could create a compelling portrayal of this villain, bringing intelligence and dark charisma to the role.
- Bashenga, the First Black Panther: Washington could play Bashenga, the legendary warrior who first united Wakanda and became the original Black Panther. His portrayal could expand the lore of Wakanda, showing audiences the origins of the Black Panther mantle.
.jpg?mbid=social_retweet)
English (US) ·