Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Okoye actress Danai Gurira acknowledged her reported Disney+ spin-off series for the first time.
Following the ground-breaking success of 2018's Black Panther and its 2022 sequel, Marvel Studios appears eager to expand upon to world of Wakanda. Not only does that appear to include having already begun work on Black Panther 3 but also several other Wakandan spin-offs for Disney+.
Wakanda Forever will already see a "direct sequel" on Disney+ this year with Ironheart, but beyond that, director Ryan Coogler has been working with Marvel Studios on multiple other streaming adventures. This includes an untitled Wakanda series that recently received a disappointing development update.
But even with these many stories in the works, it remains unclear who will lead them. However, one project was revealed to explore the origin of Danai Gurira's Dora Milaje leader Okoye, and while it has been a while since fans heard anything about that, the star offered some careful words on the matter.
Okoye Actress Teases Black Panther Disney+ Spin-Off
During a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Okoye actress Danai Gurira was asked to comment on the reports of her starring in her own Black Panther spin-off series on Disney+.
The Walking Dead veteran played coy on the topic but noted that she was told she can "gently allude to this possibility:"
“Stephen… I have been told that I can gently allude to this possibility. So, I am gently alluding. Just gently.”
With Gurira having been told by Marvel Studios that she was allowed to lightly acknowledge her potential Disney+ spin-off, that would seem to confirm the project is real and still in the works.
The Hollywood Reporter first revealed in May 2021 that Marvel Studios is developing an "origin spinoff series" for Okoye on Disney+, but there has been no comment on the topic since then.
A report from Variety in November 2022, amid the release of Black Panther 2, noted that Marvel Studios is working on multiple Wakandan Disney+ spin-offs.
The full interview can be seen below:
When Will Disney+'s Okoye Series Release?
While the MCU Phase 5 slate appears filled to the brim up until late 2024, most of the Phase 6 line-up, especially as far as Disney+ is concerned, remains unfilled. Granted, there have been plenty of projects revealed to be in the works, but as far as the official slate is concerned, there are still many spots wide open.
When Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore addressed the Wakandan Disney+ spin-offs in November 2022, he revealed that development on Black Panther 2 and Ironheart meant those plans are "not as far along as people want it to be," but there are some "great ideas" being thrown around.
Now that Ryan Coogler - who directed Wakanda Forever and produced Ironheart - likely has a lot more time on his hands, development on these spin-offs could accelerate in the not-too-distant future. Perhaps his focus will now turn to making at least one of these Disney+ projects before moving on to Black Panther 3.
With Phase 6 planned to run right up until May 2026's Avengers: Secret Wars, there is plenty of time still to fit Okoye's series into the Multiverse Saga. But as the Wakandan leader is expected to continue her MCU stay into Phase 7 and the next saga, perhaps it will ultimately be slightly further out.
However, it should be noted that as Marvel Studios has been re-evaluating its future slate after the mixed reactions to Phase 4, and anything could still happen with this spin-off project. For example, the project could be scrapped, switched to a Disney+ Special Presentation, or even upgraded to a movie like Armor Wars.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming now on Disney+.
