'Black Panther' will be directed by Ryan Coogler of 'Creed' and 'Fruitvale Station' fame. He will helm the MCU's first ever black superhero standalone film instead of original choice Ava DuVernay.
According to Wired, Marvel president Kevin Feige officially welcomed award-winning director Ryan Coogler to helm the newest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Coogler will direct the MCU's first ever standalone Marvel film to focus primarily on a superhero of color.
He said, "We are fortunate to have such an esteemed filmmaker join the Marvel family... The talents Ryan showcased in his first two films easily made him our top choice to direct Black Panther. Many fans have waited a long time to see Black Panther in his own film, and with Ryan we know we've found the perfect director to bring T'Challa's story to life."
According to GQ, the American film director and screenwriter quickly established himself as one of the newest and brightest talents ever to emerge into the industry. He first got his big break with the feature film 'Fruitvale Station' released in 2013. It won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic Film at the Sundance Film Festival on that year.
Coogler also wrote and directed the seventh film in the 'Rocky' franchise. 'Creed', released in November 2015, starred Michael B. Jordan as the titular Adonis Johnson Creed as well as Sylvester Stallone reprising his role as Rocky Balboa. The film received critical acclaim as well as numerous accolades including a win for Stallone for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes and a win for Coogler for Best Director at the African-American Film Critics Association.
Director Ava DuVernay of another critically-acclaimed film 'Selma' was first attached to the project but dropped out early on. According to Slate, DuVernay refused the offer due to difficulties in creative control that would stop her from creating an "Ava DuVernay film".
'Black Panther' is an upcoming action-adventure film intended as part of the MCU's Phase Three. It follows the story of T'Challa, the prince of the fictional African Nation of Wakanda, as he takes on the role of Black Panther after his father is killed. The film is scheduled to be released on February 16, 2018.
