Black Panther fans have to wait a little bit longer before returning to Wakanda. On Monday, Disney announced new dates for many Marvel films, including the highly anticipated sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Originally slated for a summer 2022 release, Wakanda Forever has been pushed back to a fall release.
The Hollywood Reporter reported that Disney moved Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s premiere date from July 8, 2022 to Nov. 11, 2022. Also shifting to later in the year is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, moving back to May 6, 2022 from a planned March 25, 2022 release.
One of the biggest films in Marvel history, Black Panther remains one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most popular properties. Production on the sequel began in Atlanta in June, as fans eagerly await any news or footage from the film.
Still, Marvel has plenty of planned content to hold them over until Black Panther returns, including the upcoming Spider-Man sequel, starring Zendaya and Tom Holland, set to release in December. The Eternals, starring Angelina Jolie, Brian Tyree Henry and more hits theaters this November.
Director and writer Ryan Coogler has been open about the process of working on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, especially following the tragic loss of the franchise’s leading man, Chadwick Boseman, in 2020. On an episode of Jemele Hill‘s Unbothered podcast, he referred to the film as “the hardest thing he’s ever had to do.”
“I’m still currently going through it. One thing that I’ve learned in my short or long time on this Earth is that it’s very difficult to have perspective on something while you’re going through it,” Coogler said. “This is one of the more profound things that I’ve gone through in my life, having to be a part of keeping this project going without this particular person who is like the glue who held it together.”
Wakanda Forever brings back several players from the first film, including Angela Bassett and Lupita Nyong’o. Michaela Coel, fresh off her Emmy wins for I May Destroy You, joins the cast. Disney and Marvel have declined to comment on her still-unspecified role.
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