Black Panther 3's latest release window confirms that, as fans feared, it will continue an unfortunate tradition for recent MCU sequels. Marvel Studios' top focus as far as theatrical releases are concerned is on Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, along with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But that's not to say the MCU studio isn't cooking up other projects behind the scenes from the next saga, including Midnight Sons, Doctor Strange 3, X-Men, and Black Panther 3, the long-awaited sequel to 2022's Wakanda Forever, which will be written and directed by Ryan Coogler.
A report from Jeff Sneider stated that Marvel Studios is aiming to start filming Black Panther 3 under director Ryan Coogler "at the top of 2027" in time to "be in theaters in February 2028." This would leave a gap of five years, three months between Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Black Panther 3.
In turn, Marvel Studios would be continuing an unfortunate trend for non-Avengers MCU sequels that began with May 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Multiversal epic began an ongoing streak of having long gaps (at least 4.5 years) between MCU sequels and their predecessors:
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - 5 years, 6 months
- Thor: Love & Thunder - 4 years, 8 months
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - 4 years, 9 months
- Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania - 4 years, 7 months
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - 6 years
- The Marvels - 4 years, 8 months
- Captain America: Brave New World - 8 years, 9 months
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day - 4 years, 7 months
- Black Panther 3 - 5 years, 3 months
Even the box-office juggernaut of the Avengers franchise hasn't been completely safe, with 7.5 years between Endgame and Doomsday. Fortunately, Secret Wars will be ready to right that wrong when it arrives almost exactly one year after its predecessor on December 17, 2027, ushering in an MCU set.
Black Panther 3's delayed release may have stemmed partly from Coogler's busy schedule, having focused on his vampire flick Sinners until last year. Even now, Coogler confirmed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that the MCU threequel "comes after" his upcoming X-Files reboot TV series in his production plan.
Marvel Studios will undoubtedly be keeping security tighter than ever in the lead-up to Black Panther 3's production to preserve the rumored new Wakandan hero introduction in Avengers: Doomsday, who may well lead the threequel.
Furthermore, as the movie will take place after Avengers: Secret Wars, possibly being the first release of the soft-rebooted MCU, the production may also need to guard references to the spoilery secrets of the Multiverse Saga's finale.
Marvel Studios Needs To Fix Its Sequel Problem To Survive
Sadly, Marvel Studios shows no signs of slowing down on this unfortunate trend, with Shang-Chi 2 being the most egregious culprit. The martial arts superhero epic arrived over four years ago, and a sequel was quickly announced to be in development, yet there has been no movement on the project since.
Doctor Strange 3 has similarly been a culprit of this issue, as the Avenging Sorcerer has yet to reappear since Multiverse of Madness. While Doctor Strange 3 recently received a promising update, it would be surprising to see it released anytime before 2029, almost seven years after its predecessor.
The slowdown on MCU sequels amid a focus on introducing new characters and crafting strange spin-offs has been a defining failure of the Multiverse Saga. It has prevented fans from growing as attached to its starring heroes and villains as they once were to Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, and the other OG Avengers.
If Marvel Studios is to restore its former glory in the MCU's third saga, it will need to place greater emphasis on maintaining franchises and long-running TV shows. There are already signs of change: Disney+ series like Daredevil: Born Again are finally being plotted for multiple seasons, not as limited series, and new franchises such as The Fantastic Four 2 reportedly already have sequels in the works.
Simply, Marvel Studios can't afford to keep moviegoers waiting over four years for sequels anymore, and franchises like Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, and X-Men will need regular releases in the rumored Mutant Saga to keep the MCU afloat.
