Marvel made it official at San Diego Comic-Con: Black Panther 3 is happening, it's got a release window, and Ryan Coogler is coming back to write and direct. The film is currently set for 2028, and according to Collider's reporting, it will be shot entirely on film for large formats.

If you've been following Coogler's career, that last detail shouldn't surprise you. The man loves shooting on film. He did it with the first Black Panther, he pushed for it on Wakanda Forever, and apparently he's doubling down for round three. There's a texture and a weight you get from actual film stock that digital still can't quite replicate, even now, and for a world as rich and layered as Wakanda, that choice matters. IMAX cameras capturing actual light hitting actual celluloid. We don't get enough of that in the franchise space.

I've been thinking about where this story could even go. The first film was a cultural event in a way that very few movies get to be. It meant something to people beyond just being a good time at the theater, and Ryan Coogler knew that, and he honored it. Then Wakanda Forever had to navigate the devastating loss of Chadwick Boseman, and it did so with a grace and raw emotion that caught a lot of people off guard. Letitia Wright's Shuri carried the weight of that film on her shoulders, and she was tremendous.

So what does chapter three look like? Marvel's keeping plot details locked down, obviously. With Namor introduced in the sequel and the broader world of Talocan now in play, with the political structure of Wakanda still shifting after the events of the last film, there's no shortage of directions Coogler could take this. The man doesn't do safe. Whatever he's building, it'll be personal.

The 2028 window feels far off but it really isn't, not for something of this scale. A film like this needs the writing room, the prep, the production design that Wakanda demands. You can't rush a world that detailed. Coogler has earned the trust to take his time with it.

Jess Wingo texted me when the news broke asking if I was already planning my three-hour video essay. Very funny. But yeah, I'll probably have thoughts.

I'm in. Whatever Coogler's cooking, I'll be there opening night. Preferably on the biggest IMAX screen I can find.