“It's just myth-making but on terms that are current”— When Ryan Coogler made his feelings clear about the importance of Black Panther

Ryan Coogler is an American director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for directing the Black Panther film series. This Marvel movie adaptation about T'Challa, the fictional ruler of the fictional African nation Wakanda, has been praised as one of the best Marvel Studios creations in recent times, marking a cultural turning point in cinema history.

In a 2018 interview with NPR, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler commented on the importance and popularity of the movie franchise, saying,

"For one, like, this medium of superhero films and this blockbuster medium, it's just myth-making but on terms that are current."

Coogler is a recipient of NAACP Image Awards and Black Reel Awards and has also bagged two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Grammy Award. Apart from the Black Panther franchise, Coogler is also known for directing and producing Fruitvale Station (2013), Creed (2015), Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), and Sinners (2025).

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What makes Ryan Coogler's Black Panther film franchise such a landmark moment in film history?

According to director Ryan Coogler, the importance of Black Panther lies in the fact that,

"For one, like, this medium of superhero films and this blockbuster medium, it's just myth-making but on terms that are current. That's why these movies make a lot money. That's why people talk about them, you know what I mean, people dress up as them."

According to Coogler,

"You look at any society in any period of time, they had their version of how they did their myth-making. Whether it was vaudeville, whether it was plays, whether it was on the plains of Africa ... and it was griots, you know, beating the drum and telling stories. That was their version of myth-making. Right now, it's these big, huge, large-canvas films that you go see in IMAX, that you go see in 3-D."

He continued,

"And there's a massive audience — not just of people of color but everybody — who wants to see different perspectives in this myth-making. They want to see something fresh, they want to see something new, but also feels very real."

Ryan Coogler was first introduced to the Black Panther comics as a kid in Oakland, California, while he was hanging out at a comic book store near his school. Talking about how he got his hands on them, he said,

"As I got older, I wanted to find a comic book character that looked like me and not just one that was on the sideline. And I walk in and ask the guy at the desk that day, and say, 'Hey man, you got any comic books here about black people, you know, like with a black superhero?' And he was like, 'Oh, yeah, as a matter of fact, we got this one.'"

That was how Coogler discovered T'Challa, the king of Wakanda.

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Is there a new Black Panther movie coming up?

Yes, a new Black Panther movie is in development, which will see Ryan Coogler returning as director and Denzel Washington featured in a leading role. It is scheduled for release in February 2028.

However, more recently, another Marvel Comics series set in Wakanda is gearing up for release. It is an animated anthology series titled Eyes of Wakanda, which has been created by Todd Harris for Disney+ and is set to premiere on the streaming site on August 6, 2025. The animated series will have four episodes.

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Watch out for Ryan Coogler's latest project, Ironheart, which premieres on June 24, 2025.