Ryan Coogler recently expressed his desire to collaborate with Denzel Washington for the upcoming Black Panther installment.

The 38-year-old filmmaker, who directed first two parts of Black Panther, discussed the possibility of casting Washington in the sequel.

During an appearance on the Nightcap podcast, the American director said, “I’ve been dying to work with Denzel. I’m hoping we can make that happen. I’ve got every intention of working with him on that movie. As long as he’s interested, man, it’s going to happen. He’s a living legend and a great mentor for so many of us. He’s all about looking out for us, now.”

However, Marvel has not yet officially announced the release of the highly anticipated film.

In an exclusive conversation with The Hollywood Reporter in November, the Oscar-winning actor revealed that the Sinners director is writing a role for him in the Black Panther third installment.

This comes on the heels of the Gladiator II actor apologizing to Coogler for leaking the news.

Speaking to Variety, the 70-year-old star said, “I called him and apologised for talking about the movie, and right there sitting with him was his beautiful wife. He’s still Ryan, humble and full of ideas. Whatever he writes, I’ll read.”

For the unversed, the first Black Panther hit the big screens in 2018, while the sequel, Wakanda Forever, was released in 2022.