Denzel Washington confirmed to star in Black Panther 3

Actor Denzel Washington has been confirmed to star in the third part of Black Panther, director Ryan Coogler has confirmed on the 7PM in Brooklyn With Carmelo Anthony podcast. This will be the first time the Equalizer star will be entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"I've been trying to work with him since day one. I think he's the greatest living actor. And in terms of what he means to our culture, forget about it. I've been talking to him about this for a long time, and I was surprised when he mentioned it. But it's not like it's not true," Ryan said. Ryan mentioned during the podcast that he has a role specifically written for him.

Washington had previously let the cat out of the bag on his involvement in Black Panther 3. He later called Coogler to apologise for revealing his casting in the film. "I said, 'I'm sorry, man.' He's like, 'No, man, it's all good.'," he said.

Interestingly, Denzel has a strong emotional connect with Black Panther as actor Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa in the film), spoke about how the actor had an impact on his life and career.

The first part in the Black Panther franchise was released in 2018. It won three Oscar awards, a first for an MCU film. A sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was released on November 11, 2022, with Wright taking over as the lead following Boseman's death in 2020.

A release date for Black Panther 3 is currently unknown. The current Marvel slate of films include The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, 2025; Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, 2026; Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026; and Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027.

Denzel Washington is currently awaiting the release of Highest 2 Lowest, directed by Spike Lee which had its world premiere out of competition of the recent Cannes Film Festival. The film will be released theatrically by A24 on August 22, 2025. Prior to that, he was seen in Gladiator II (2024) where he played Macrinus.