Black Panther 3 has reportedly been pushed several months further into 2028, marking an unfortunate (but likely necessary) delay. Almost four years have gone by since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever pounced into theaters in 2022 with a touching tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman and his T'Challa. Marvel Studios will revisit key Wakandan characters this year and next with Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars before franchise director Ryan Coogler delivers Black Panther 3 at some point in 2028 and beyond as one of Phase 7's first movies.
Marvel Studios has made a slew of updates to its Phase 7 release calendar, planting new flags for mystery movies in 2028 and 2029. A major shift saw the untitled theatrical release moved from February 18, 2028, to July 28, 2028. As the early 2028 date had reportedly been earmarked for Black Panther 3, it appears the next trip to Wakanda has been delayed by roughly five months.
Black Panther 3 was previously reported to release in February 2028, landing just months after Avengers: Secret Wars as the MCU's first Phase 7 movie. The Wakandan threequel seems placed to grab Marvel Studios' new July 28, 2028, date, becoming the franchise's first summer release.
Insider Jeff Sneider seemingly confirmed Black Panther 3's delay, retweeting the news of the untitled flick's winter-to-summer shift with a GIF of the Wakandan hero. The shift would now make the African epic's second Phase 7 movie, not the first, as it will now land after the untitled May 5, 2028, release date.
Marvel Studios is prioritizing two major blockbusters to open Phase 7: Black Panther 3 and the X-Men reboot. That still leaves either May 5 and December 15, 2028, vacant for another in-development MCU movie like The Fantastic Four 2.
Black Panther 3's Delay Is Best for Marvel Studios Overall
Before Coogler heads back to Wakanda full-time, the director is turning his attention to TV for an X-Files reboot, which just got a pilot order at Hulu. The sci-fi mystery revival is expected to shoot across May and June, according to Nexus Point News, keeping him away from Black Panther 3 for the foreseeable future.
Between Coogler's work on X-Files and some of the Wakandan cast being busy with Avengers: Secret Wars, it's tough to imagine Black Panther 3 starting production before 2027. If production gets started early in the year, Coogler and company will have ample time to prepare for a July 2028 release.
The MCU as a whole may also benefit from the lengthened gap created between Secret Wars and Phase 7's first theatrical release. Previously, fans would have waited just two months for Black Panther 3 from December 2027 to February 2028, but will now be kept waiting until May for a mystery release.
Marvel Studios will reportedly introduce a new Black Panther in Secret Wars, who is heavily rumored to be an aged-up version of T'Challa's son. While many would expect to see the MCU's Chadwick Boseman replacement unveiled for the first time in theaters as a grand surprise, it may be announced ahead of time to avoid their identity being revealed through Black Panther 3 leaks and set photos first.
It has been widely reported that F1 star Damson Idris is in line to become the MCU's new Black Panther, carrying the mantle into Phase 7 and beyond. As Coogler is still working on the script, it's too soon to tell whether Letitia Wright's Shuri and Winston Duke's M'Baku will return, but the scribe is said to be writing a role for Oscar-winner Denzel Washington in what would be his MCU debut.
Black Panther 3 got a boost after the recent 98th Academy Awards, as Coogler took home his first Oscar, winning Best Original Screenplay for Sinners. That certainly raises anticipation further for the threequel's storyline, as it joins an exclusive club of MCU movies to be penned by such highly-recognized scribes.
