Denzel Washington Gets Black Panther Part From Ryan Coogler

Denzel Washington has enjoyed a storied career that transfers seamlessly between the big screen and the stage, and he appears to be looking toward the sunset. In a recent interview, Denzel Washington says that director Ryan Coogler is writing him a part for Black Panther 3 and has a clear idea of how he wants to head into his impending retirement from acting. Denzel Washington, 69, sat down with the Australian show TODAY in support of the upcoming Gladiator II film starring the veteran actor and was joined on the program by costars Pedro Pascal and Connie Neilsen. The chat opened up with the cast members praising Gladiator film series director Ridley Scott on creating a lavish set that called back to the mighty days of the Roman Empire. When the conversation turned to delivering a sequel to the beloved original Gladiator film, Washington was asked if he felt any type of pressure in stepping into the massive franchise. In his typically cool fashion, Washington says he embraces this phase of his career especially as he eyes an end to appearing onscreen. “For me it’s about the filmmakers. Especially at this point in my career, I am only interested in working with the best,” Washington shared. “I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. It’s probably not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done.” After stating that bombshell, Washington delivered another toward the end of the junket conversation. “I played Othello at 22. I am about to play Othello at 70,” Washington added. “After that, I am playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking to Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next ‘Black Panther.’ After that, I’m going to do the film ‘Othello.’ After that, I’m going to do King Lear. After that, I’m going to retire.” The news of Denzel Washington having a role in the upcoming Black Panther sequel had folks expressing excitement on the X social media platform. We’ve got reactions below.

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Photo: Getty

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