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And you thought the MCU had star power after they nabbed Malkovich.

Coming to us via The Hollywood Reporter, Popverse is thrilled to report that none other than Denzel Washington is angling toward a Marvel Cinematic Universe role, as the actor has confirmed he has a part in the third Black Panther film. At least, he's confirmed that director Ryan Coogler, who helmed both Black Panther movies already out, is currently writing a role for him.

Now, before we get too excited, there are some downsides to this news. Firstly for Denzel Washington fans, one major downside is that the actor announced this news during a discussion on his last films before retirement. Yes, the two-time Oscar-winner (Glory, Training Day), is leaving the spotlight after a storied career, though there are still plenty of opportunities to see him in theaters before he goes. The actor will also star in a film about ancient general Hannibal (not the "eats people" one), a Steve McQueen project, Black Panther 3 (more on that in a sec), and not one, but two Shakespeare adaptations: Othello and King Lear, respectively. Plus, you can go see Denzel Washington in Gladiator II once it opens on November 22 in the US.

The second slight downside to this news is that, technically, Black Panther 3 has not officially been given the greenlight by Marvel Studios. That said, it's not wrong to have high hopes the studio will eventually; they have proven themselves to be all in on Wakanda and its beloved denizens. For example, Marvel Animation is tackling the series Eyes of Wakanda (headed to Disney+ August 6, 2025), and Marvel's Ironheart is starring in her own series (headed to Disney+ June 24, 2025), which Marvel has confirmed will act as a sequel story to Black Panther 2.

We're no fortune-tellers here at Popverse, but we are of the opinion that movies get greenlit when the studio thinks it will make them money. Wakanda is already a guaranteed hit for Marvel, and now that the Actor's Actor Denzel Washington is on board for a new moive...?

Well, let's just say we're keeping a close eye out for some more official Black Panther 3 news.

Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

• How to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in release or chronological order
• The best Marvel Comics stories of all time
• All the MCU movies ranked from best to worst
• Our weekly Marvel insider's column, Marvel Matters