A Wakanda series is in the works at Disney+ amid a new TV deal with Ryan Coogler
A shiny new (well, extended, at least) deal with Disney is going to keep Ryan Coogler busy for a while. According to Variety, the company and the Black Panther director have struck a new multi-year TV deal, allowing Coogler and his Proximity Media label to develop multiple TV projects for studios under the Disney umbrella—including Marvel. In fact, one of Coogler’s new projects is a potential Disney+ series set in Wakanda, the fictional country where Black Panther is set.
“Ryan Coogler is a singular storyteller whose vision and range have made him one of the standout filmmakers of his generation,” said Disney chairman Bob Iger. “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.”
The Wakanda show hasn’t been picked up as a full series yet, and Marvel naturally hasn’t said anything about it, but it sounds like an extension of what the studio has said about Black Panther 2. A producer already confirmed that there won’t be any Carrie Fisher-style digital recreation of Chadwick Boseman in the sequel, which will reportedly be more about the world of Wakanda than some other character stepping in and replacing Boseman after his death last summer.
This new series could be a continuation of ideas introduced in Black Panther 2, or it could be more of a closer focus on the street-level Wakanda stories that didn’t get a spotlight alongside the royal drama and shirtless waterfall battles of Coogler’s first Black Panther. Either way, Disney is planning to stay in the Ryan Coogler business for a while.