Marvel has dropped some “Phase 3″ info that you should probably be aware of…
– First, and maybe of most interest to this blog, the Black Panther movie release date has been moved up to February 16, 2018, from July 6, 2018. Keep in mind that it was originally slotted to be released even earlier, on November 3, 2017. So today’s move doesn’t make a huge difference, considering how far into the future 2018 still is. But you’ll get to see the movie about 5 months earlier than the previous set date; that is, assuming Marvel doesn’t change the date again between now and 2018, which is still over 2 years away, so anything is possible.
– Second, “Ant-Man” is getting a sequel, this time with Hope Van Dyne at his side, in Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” which is set for a July 6, 2018 release (“Black Panther’s” previous date).
– Third, “Captain Marvel” is also getting a date shift, not set for March 8, 2019.
– And finally, Marvel says there will be 3 untitled films that will premiere on May 1, 2020, July 10, 2020, and November 6, 2020. The studio doesn’t say what those films will be. So, let the speculation begin!
Regarding Black Panther, as of Tuesday this week, Joe Robert Cole is currently in negotiations to pen the screenplay for “Black Panther,” which will star Chadwick Boseman.
If Cole’s name isn’t at all familiar to you, it won’t be a surprise, given that he really doesn’t have any IMDB credits. The scribe comes from an in-house writer’s program, so he’s a fresh face, you could say.
Still no director attached however. I’ve said before that I wouldn’t be shocked if the job went to F. Gary Gray, a director whose name is being tossed around for other high-profile projects currently (“Furious 8” most recently), after the immense success of “Straight Outta Compton.” But given that he appears to be all-but certain to direct “Furious 8,” that would likely put him out of contention for “Panther,” given that “Furious 8” is set for a spring 2017 release, meaning it’ll be shooting next year. I’d imagine that whomever is tasked with directing “Black Panther” will likely have to commit 2 years of their life (starting in 2016 probably) to seeing the project from start to release and beyond. So I can’t see him directing both films, which would each intense in its own way, I would imagine.
The only certainty as of this post is that Boseman will star as Black Panther.
No one else has been cast; no director attached.
If you missed it, check out my thoughts (here) on directors that Marvel should consider meeting with for the job.
Also feel free to speculate on what you think the 3 untitled films will be – specifically if any of them will center of black Marvel superheroes.