Ryan Coogler recently revealed the original plans that he had for the Black Panther sequel before the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever notably underwent significant changes in its script in the aftermath of Boseman's death in August 2020. The film ultimately focused on Shuri as the main character, taking on the mantle of the Black Panther, while also introducing Namor as the villain. To this day, fans can't help but wonder what the film would have looked like if the original plan had stayed.
What Was the Original Plan for Black Panther 2?
In a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via Variety), director Ryan Coogler revealed his plans for the original script for the Black Panther sequel before the passing of Boseman.
He shared that the film would have focused on the adventure of T'Challa and his eight-year-old son. Namor was still set to be the main villain.
"The big thing with the script was a thing called the Ritual of 8, where a prince is 8 years old, he must spend 8 days in the bush with his father. The rule is for those 8 days, the prince can ask the father any question, and the father must answer," he said.
"In the course of those 8 days, Namor launches an attack... he had to deal with someone who’s insanely dangerous, but because of this ritual, his son had to be joined at his hip the whole time, or else they’d violate this ritual that had never been broken. It was insane. Chadwick was going to kill it, but life goes as it goes."
Coogler confirmed that he had finished the original script, but by the time he sent the script, Boseman was too sick to read it.
"He was at a place where it wasn’t going to happen. Our relationship was very interesting. He meant a lot to me, but I found out after his passing from his family and his friends about how much I meant to him. That f***ed me up pretty good. I wonder if he knew how much he meant to me. I did wonder," he said.
"But I loved that script. I put so much into that version of the movie because I felt like I had gotten to know Chadwick as a performer. I threw a lot at him in the first Panther, but I realized I was just scratching the surface. It was a 180-page draft."
What to Expect in Black Panther 3
Coogler is currently developing Black Panther 3. However, Marvel Studios has not set a release window yet, nor has it announced which phase it will be part of.
The plot details regarding the project are still under wraps. In a November 2025 interview, Coogler simply teased about the film, "If it was anybody but you, I would say, ‘I can neither confirm or deny.' But we’re working on it hard… Yeah, it’s the next movie."
However, Coogler has also confirmed that Denzel Washington will have a role in the film, but he didn't disclose any details about the character he planned for him.
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