
In August, Denzel Washington shared that his Oscar-winning career is nearing its end, with only a few films left for him to make. Now, he has revealed that Black Panther 3 will be one of those projects. Speaking to Australia’s Today during the press tour for Gladiator II, Washington confirmed that director Ryan Coogler is writing a role for him in the third Black Panther film. The film will be part of Washington's final slate of projects, which also includes a new film with Steve McQueen and a stage adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello.
“For me it’s about the filmmakers. Especially at this point in my career, I am 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 said.
He added, “I played Othello at 22. I am about to play Othello at 70,” referencing the Shakespeare production, which co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal and opens on Broadway in February 2025. “After that, I am playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking to 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.”
While details about the McQueen project are still under wraps, Netflix has already announced a war movie directed by Antoine Fuqua, where Washington will star as the Carthaginian general Hannibal. As for Black Panther 3, Marvel has yet to confirm the sequel, but fans are anticipating it given the franchise's success under Coogler’s direction.
Washington’s participation in Black Panther 3 is especially meaningful given his past connection to the late Chadwick Boseman. Before his death in 2020, Boseman revealed that Washington had paid for his acting school one summer, saying, “There is no Black Panther without Denzel Washington.”
“My whole cast stands on your shoulders,” Boseman said while honoring Washington with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019. “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.”