Having been speculated on in the past couple weeks, Marvel Studios have made it official by naming Creed and Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler to direct the upcoming Black Panther.
Coogler made a serious impact with his debut feature Fruitvale Station in 2013 and resurrected the Rocky franchise with Creed, both starring Michael B. Jordan. Black Panther will be part of the Marvel Studios Phase 3 slate of films that include Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and culminating in the 2 part Avengers: Infinity War.
Anyone concerned that Coogler’s resume isn’t meaty enough to handle this need not be concerned. Both Fruitvale Station and Creed were met with widespread critical acclaim, and Sylvester Stallone just netted a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his reprisal of Rocky Balboa
Black Panther tells the story of T’Challa, the young king of the African nation of Wakanda, who will make his first cinematic appearance in Captain America: Civil War. While plot details are scant, the synopsis given is that T’Challa will be assuming the mantle of Black Panther while investigating the death of his father, who was found dead due to mysterious, and possibly treacherous circumstances.
Starring Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther will be released February 16, 2018.
