Today, Deadline announced that Black Panther director Ryan Coogler has inked a 5-year deal with Walt Disney. The first look deal will see his production company Proximity Media (including executives Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ludwig Göransson, Archie Davis, and Peter Nicks.) will now work directly with Disney. Coogler is currently rewriting Black Panther II to honor the passing of Chadwick Boseman who was expected to return. The new sequel may feature Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) take up the mantle of the Black Panther as seen in the comics. Production of the second film is still expected to begin later this year.
Ryan Coogler is expanding the world of Black Panther by developing an entire Disney+ series about the Kingdom of Wakanda. Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger added “Ryan Coogler is a singular storyteller whose vision and range have made him one of the standout filmmakers of his generation. With Black Panther, Ryan brought a groundbreaking story and iconic characters to life in a real, meaningful, and memorable way, creating a watershed cultural moment. We’re thrilled to strengthen our relationship and look forward to telling more great stories with Ryan and his team.” The director is also said to have a hand in several other shows for the streaming platform.
In a statement, the director added “It’s an honor to be partnering with The Walt Disney Company. Working with them on Black Panther was a dream come true. As avid consumers of television, we couldn’t be happier to be launching our television business with Bob Iger, Dana Walden, and all the amazing studios under the Disney umbrella. We look forward to learning, growing, and building a relationship with audiences all over the world through the Disney platforms. We are especially excited that we will be taking our first leap with Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and their partners at Marvel Studios where we will be working closely with them on select MCU shows for Disney+. We’re already in the mix on some projects that we can’t wait to share.”
Wakanda will stream exclusively on Disney+
