Denzel Washington, majorly known for his serious stoic characters like Malcolm X, Rubin Carter, Macbeth and Othello had an unexpected reaction to watching Black Panther.

During the new two-part Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet, the Gladiator II star shared a significant moment where he was deeply moved by emotions.

“I cried a little bit when I saw Black Panther,” Washington says of the 2018 blockbuster film starring Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan and directed by Ryan Coogler.

Washington looked back on the time when he met Jordan and Boseman at the backstage and chatted with them.

He then sat down to watch the movie, while sharing his experience The Equalizer actor said, “I felt like the baton had been passed. I was like, ‘Wow, these young boys are gone,’ you know.”

The 70-year-old artist continued, “I felt, I don’t know if the word is ‘relieved,’ but I was proud to see what they had done and seeing where they were headed.”

In that moment the two-time Oscar winner revealed that he felt the future of the cinema was in safe hands.

“You know, I didn’t know then they were gonna make a billion dollars, but they did,” he added. “So that, uh, that was a special moment for me.”

Previously, Washington told Australia’s Today Show that Coogler is writing a part for him in the upcoming third Black Panther film.

The documentary Number One on the Call Sheet was premiered on March 28, 2025.