‘Ryan Coogler is writing a role for me’: Denzel Washington drops a casting bombshell that could save the MCU

When Denzel Washington deservedly received his AFI lifetime achievement award for enriching American culture through film and television, the late Chadwick Boseman took to the stage and declared that without Denzel Washington, there’s no Black Panther.

Boseman didn’t just mean that metaphorically either; he went on to share that if it wasn’t for Denzel Washington raising funds for Boseman and his classmates when he was still in acting school, they would’ve never been able to attend a summer program at Oxford University, a monumental stage of his training.

Of course, Boseman tragically passed away a year later, which completely upended the Black Panther franchise. Even though Ryan Coogler managed to craft a fitting sequel that partly honored Chadwick Boseman’s iconography, Marvel has yet to update us on whether they will move forward with another film. Now, however, we’ve gotten an update from an unlikely source. Denzel Washington has revealed that not only is Ryan Coogler working on a third film, but Washington himself will be in it.

If this film manages to escape development purgatory, unlike the long-gestating Blade, it would mark Denzel Washington’s first comic book movie. It would certainly be a joy to see him chew the scenery as a Marvel villain, especially given that the MCU’s chokehold on culture seems to be waning. For many fans, it’s no stretch to think that Denzel Washington could be the X factor needed to revitalize the MCU, especially at a time when its influence appears to be in decline. But for now, it remains a mystery what kind of role Coogler is crafting for one of our greatest living actors.

Washington casually revealed the news during an interview on Australia’s TODAY show, where he was promoting his new film Gladiator 2. He also went into detail about what attracts him to a film now that he’s past 70 and has amassed just about every accolade an actor could hope for. Washington shared that in every new role, he looks for one thing: working with the best filmmakers.

That means right before his work on Black Panther, he plans to collaborate with Steve McQueen on an unnamed project. But for now, the focus is on his role as Macrinus opposite Paul Mescal in Gladiator II. True to form, Washington has been spending the entire press run praising Mescal to anyone who will listen.

When it’s all said and done, seemingly, Denzel Washington’s legacy may ultimately be defined not just by his iconic on-screen performances, but by his influence off-screen. Just recently, Glen Powell shared how Washington had a profound impact on his career by advising him to focus solely on his journey, rather than comparing himself to fellow actors. While this might sound like common advice, it carries significant weight when it comes from someone as accomplished as Washington. Since then, Powell has soared in his own right, taking unorthodox risks like starring in Anyone But You at a time when romcoms were out of favor, and co-writing Hit Man, both of which became massive hits. To this day, Washington still jokes that Powell owes him credit for his career.

Washington is receiving rave reviews for his role in Gladiator 2, and we urge you to see it when you can because, as he shared in his TODAY show interview, he only plans to make a handful more movies before finally retiring.