With Creed becoming a big hit with audiences in the US and Oscar buzz surrounding Sylvester Stallone following his Golden Globes win it should come as no surprise that director Ryan Coogler is fast becoming one of the most sought after young directors in Hollywood.
Rocky spin-off, Creed is only Coogler's second feature after the critically acclaimed Sundance hit, Fruitvale Station, but it seems Marvel have seen enough to convince them that he's the man to helm the first solo outing for Black Panther. The character, played by Chadwick Boseman, is set to have his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this year in Captain America: Civil War.
Black Panther would be a huge step up for Coogler as he'll have to immerse himself in the complexities of managing a character who's involved in an interconnected universe. It's not for everyone. Selma director Ava DuVernay allegedly passed on the project last year but we think Coogler would be a better fit for the material.
While some would argue a project like this is a big ask for someone who's only made two films so far we'd like to remind them that Christopher Nolan began reinventing the superhero genre with Batman Begins after only having three feature films under his belt.
By committing to Black Panther, it effectively rules Coogler out of returning to direct the Creed sequel but that might be no bad thing for him.
Via Empire