Thanks to Ryan Coogler, Wakanda will certainly be forever. The Black Panther director, who is getting ready to film the sequel to his hit Marvel movie later this year, is now also developing a Disney+ show set in the fictional, technologically advanced African country.
The show is part of a new five-year television deal the writer-director signed with Disney for his production company, Proximity Media. That of course means we could be getting a lot more from him than just one Marvel TV series.
“It’s an honor to be partnering with The Walt Disney Company,” Coogler said in a statement. “Working with them on Black Panther was a dream come true. As avid consumers of television, we couldn’t be happier to be launching our television business with Bob Iger, Dana Walden and all the amazing studios under the Disney umbrella. We look forward to learning, growing, and building a relationship with audiences all over the world through the Disney platforms.”
He added, “We are especially excited that we will be taking our first leap with Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and their partners at Marvel Studios where we will be working closely with them on select MCU shows for Disney+. We’re already in the mix on some projects that we can’t wait to share.”
Nothing is known about the show except that it’s set in “the Kingdom of Wakanda.” One might assume that means it’ll take place in whatever state Wakanda is after Black Panther II but that may be limiting the show’s potential. Think about a prequel show of the first Wakandans to discover Vibranium. Or a young T’Challa discovering the history of his family. Truly, the possibilities are endless, and will certainly only enrich the films.
“Ryan Coogler is a singular storyteller whose vision and range have made him one of the standout filmmakers of his generation,” said Bob Iger, Executive Chairman, The Walt Disney Company. “With Black Panther, Ryan brought a groundbreaking story and iconic characters to life in a real, meaningful and memorable way, creating a watershed cultural moment. We’re thrilled to strengthen our relationship and look forward to telling more great stories with Ryan and his team.”
And we’re thrilled we’ll get to watch them. We’ll let you know more when we hear it.
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