Rumors have swirled for a long time about what Marvel is planning for Black Panther 3, and now the title has seemingly been revealed, suggesting Wakanda is heading toward an even darker time.
Director Ryan Coogler had the almost impossible task of picking up after the tragic death of actor Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 from colon cancer. Many wondered if Marvel would recast another star as King T’Challa, but instead they chose to kill the character in the opening minutes of 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The sequel saw T’Challa’s sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), take up the mantle of Black Panther while facing down a threat from Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and the underwater kingdom of Talokan. But with a multiversal story in Avengers: Doomsday around the corner, and Secret Wars looming on the horizon, other rumors have suggested that an alternate version of T’Challa might arrive on the big screen.
Now, the title for Black Panther 3 has seemingly been revealed, and it hints that Wakanda is in for even more chaos when the third film eventually arrives.
Does Black Panther 3 have a title?
While plot details for Black Panther 3 are being guarded closer than Wakanda’s vibranium mines, a new detail about the sequel has seemingly revealed its title: Black Panther: Shadows of Wakanda.
The news comes from Production Weekly, the industry outlet that advertises crew vacancies for upcoming Hollywood movies and TV shows.
The listing also includes a small synopsis, although it doesn’t reveal too much.
“Black Panther 3, titled Shadows of Wakanda, will explore Wakanda’s vulnerability after T’Challa’s death, with Shuri stepping up as both warrior and leader.”
Black Panther 3 (or Black: Panther: Shadows of Wakanda if the title is legitimate!) doesn’t have an official release date yet. But notable scooper Jeff Sneider claimed on The Hot Mic that Marvel is eyeing up a February 2028 release date.
Marvel is presumably keeping things tight-lipped ahead of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which will inevitably involve a multiversal clash of some the MCU’s mightiest heroes, as well as the introduction of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, of course.
Who’s in the Black Panther 3 cast?
While Marvel Studios and Disney haven’t officially confirmed the cast for Black Panther 3, presumably it will star Letitia Wright as Shuri now that she’s the leader of Wakanda.
There’s also been plenty of rumors about whether Marvel will recast Boseman via the multiverse following those movies. In early 2025, F1 star Damson Idris confirmed that he’s interested in taking up the Black Panther mantle, but only time will tell if that plays out or not.
But one definite cast member is Denzel Washington, as he revealed on the Gladiator II press tour that Coogler has written a part for him. It’s unclear who he’ll play, although we think he’d be perfect as Blue Marvel, the super-powered genius with the ability to manipulate matter.
If Idris does join Wright in Wakanda, they’ll likely be joined by other fan-favorite Black Panther stars like Danai Gurira as Okoye, Winston Duke as M’Baku, and Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia.
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