It should come as no surprise that, on the heels of success with its first two Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series, WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and the highly anticipated debut of Loki next month, Disney Plus is heading back to the kingdom of Wakanda with a new show. Though representatives for Disney and Marvel have not commented as of this writing, a profile from The Hollywood Reporter on attorney Jamie Mandelbaum indicated the news that actress Danai Gurira would be reprising her role as Okoye both in the film sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and “an origin spinoff series.”
Back in February, Deadline reported that, as part of a five-year deal with filmmaker Ryan Coogler and The Walt Disney Company, Coogler would develop a TV series set in Wakanda. About the renewed partnership, Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger said, “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 first Black Panther film was released to critical and audience acclaim on February 16th, 2018. It became the first superhero movie to be nominated for Best Picture and took home three Academy Awards. A sequel was announced that year.
Star Chadwick Boseman died in August 2020, and it has since been confirmed that his role will not be recast.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Four trailer released earlier this month revealed that the title of the sequel will be Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and it will be released on July 8th, 2022.
After the events of Black Panther, Wakanda and its characters were featured heavily in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Florence Kasumba, who plays Ayo, appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Gurira, who is best known for her portrayal of Michonne in The Walking Dead, is also set to play African-American politician Shirley Chisholm in a biopic.