Lupita Nyong puts ‘leader of the pack’ on the spot as she answers those ‘Denzel Washington as Black Panther’ rumors

The MCU factory is closed with a sign outside reading “Under Construction.”

There have been a few leaks here and there, but few more intriguing than the buzz around a potential Denzel Washington role in the yet-to-be-confirmed Black Panther 3. There’s also growing speculation about whether we’ll ever see a formal passing of the Black Panther torch. One of the franchise’s stars, Lupita Nyong’o, has finally given fans a glimpse of what the cast might be thinking.

Let’s be real — the MCU’s prime days are behind us. Even high-level executives would likely admit as much. Misguided attempts to keep fans engaged in a post-Thanos world led to criticism over the rushed and overcrowded nature of recent projects. For what it’s worth, Marvel seems to have taken these criticisms seriously, focusing on streamlined, linear storytelling reminiscent of what first won fans over. With the warm reception to trailers for Fantastic Four: First Steps and Captain America: Brave New World, the MCU might just be buying itself some much-needed goodwill.

It’s also clear that Marvel has opted to move forward rather than lean on tried-and-tested franchises that have historically held up their universe. Thor is on an indefinite break, there’s a new Captain America, James Gunn has moved to DC, and even returning stars like Robert Downey Jr. are playing entirely new roles. Black Panther, however, exists in a unique purgatory within the MCU. Introduced at the tail-end of the Infinity Saga, it was clearly meant to be a foundational pillar for Marvel’s future. But Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing changed everything.

Director Ryan Coogler even rewrote the entire script for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, turning it into a moving tribute to one of our screens’ most graceful stars. Fans and critics were touched, but as time passed, many began wondering whether the franchise would eventually pass the mantle to a new Black Panther. Online discussions buzzed with speculative casting ideas for Boseman’s replacement.

The excitement only grew when Denzel Washington hinted in an interview that Coogler was writing a role for him in the next Black Panther movie. Coogler, currently busy with his vampire film starring Michael B. Jordan, Sinners, has remained elusive on the subject. Fortunately, Lupita Nyong’o, currently on the awards circuit campaigning for her animated film The Wild Robot, addressed the rumors during an appearance on The Awardist, Entertainment Weekly’s podcast. Nyong’o gave a characteristically polished response:

“Well, I won’t believe it until I hear it from Ryan himself, because what if Denzel has a role and I don’t? Let me stay humble and ignorant until the leader of the pack actually says something.”

Marvel producer Nate Moore has also confirmed that there are no current talks of recasting T’Challa, with all attention focused on the next Avengers film. Only after that will they consider Black Panther 3.

The most logical step seems to be making Shuri (Letitia Wright) — whom audiences have already grown fond of — the franchise’s next Black Panther. Wright might have fallen out of favor during the depths of the pandemic due to her vocal anti-vaccine rhetoric, but if fans are willing to give her another shot as Wakanda’s main hero, Marvel truly has no need to get on the phone with their casting director for the next Black Panther. Nyong’o also touched on a potential recasting saying, “Honestly, I do not put any energy into trying to imagine a future that I have no control of. So we’ll see. And when we know more, we’ll know more.”

As Nyong’o and Moore implied, it’s wise to wait for Coogler to finish his current project and see where Marvel’s storytelling lands after the next Avengers. They haven’t let us down so far.