Black Panther 2 Star Compares The Film To The Godfather Part II

Is it too much of a stretch to say that Black Panther was the most important blockbuster of 2018? We don’t think so. And neither do the Powers That Be behind the Screen Actors Guild Awards, it seems.

The SAG recently awarded Black Panther with the coveted gong for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, which leaves just one question: can Ryan Coogler’s standalone epic make cinematic history and nab the Oscar for Best Picture? All will be revealed on February 24th.

But now that Black Panther and its impressive ensemble cast are back in the spotlight, many are beginning to wonder what Coogler and Co. have planned for the inevitable sequel. Because with $1.3 billion in the bank, it’s only a matter of time before we’ll be revisiting Wakanda – Avengers: Endgame notwithstanding.

Variety asked that very question to Michael B. Jordan, who spoke at length about Black Panther 2.0:

It’s one of those things where honestly, to be able to build on that legacy and those characters and the world that Ryan built — you know, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created years ago — but allow Ryan to actually tell that story, if there’s an opportunity to come back and do a second one… I mean, take myself out of that situation [laughs], but for everybody to come back, I think I speak for everybody up here, it would be a tremendous accomplishment.

From Ant-Man and the Wasp to Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel Studios has delivered some top-tier sequels in recent years, though considering the first Black Panther raised the bar with its Afrocentric story and mesmerizing visuals, Coogler and his team have a lot of pressure riding on their shoulders.

But at least according to Jordan, they’re prepared:

Sequels, I think, are one of the hardest films to make, and I feel like to create a world and build upon it that’s so beautifully and delicately woven into the world of the Marvel Universe — but throughout cinema in general, you take Marvel out of it, I think it’s a movie that stands against all film across the board. So yeah, I think if there was an opportunity, I think everybody would be pretty excited to come back around.

Meanwhile, Sterling K. Brown later compared the untitled sequel to Godfather Part II in terms of scale and scope. Bold words indeed, though considering Ryan Coogler has served up three cinematic treats in Fruitvale Station, Creed and Black Panther, it’d be foolish to write off the director’s next Marvel venture as just another sequel.

He doesn’t lose, you know what I’m saying? Bruh is three-for-three, he’s gonna be four-for-four, and the Marvel team gave him all the support that they needed with [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige… he’s a beast, man. He ain’t going to slip. Godfather II. Like, be ready.

Black Panther 2, or whatever it winds up being called, will presumably be a key pillar of Marvel’s Phase 4, which begins in earnest with the launch of Spider-Man: Far From Home this summer. Don’t miss it.