DIRECTOR PROFILE
Ryan Coogler
American filmmaker behind the Marvel Studios Black Panther films and the upcoming Black Panther 3 (targeting 2028).
Career & comic-book cinema impact
Ryan Coogler's directorial debut, Fruitvale Station (2013), won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and established his collaboration with Michael B. Jordan. Creed (2015) — Coogler's Rocky-franchise rejuvenation — grossed $173 million globally on a $35 million budget and earned Sylvester Stallone an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Black Panther (2018) transformed Coogler into one of the most commercially significant directors of his generation. The film grossed $1.35 billion globally, earned seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, and won three (Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score). Black Panther was the first Marvel film nominated for Best Picture and is widely cited as one of the most culturally significant comic-book films ever made.
Coogler's follow-up Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) — written and directed in the aftermath of Chadwick Boseman's death from colon cancer — successfully reframed the franchise around Letitia Wright's Shuri while honoring Boseman's legacy. The film grossed $859 million globally and earned five Academy Award nominations.
Coogler has confirmed Black Panther 3 as his next directorial project, with production targeting early 2027 for a February 2028 theatrical release. The film is expected to feature Denzel Washington — Coogler has publicly stated he is "writing a part" for the actor. Letitia Wright as Shuri, Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, and Winston Duke as M'Baku are expected to return. Coogler's 2025 film Sinners reunited him with Michael B. Jordan.
Comic-book filmography
Filmography limited to comic-book films catalogued in our database. Ryan Coogler's full directorial career includes additional non-comic-book films not listed here.
Awards & recognition
Sundance Grand Jury Prize (Fruitvale Station, 2013). Three Academy Award nominations as producer. NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing (multiple).