Ryan Coogler
"Creed" director Ryan Coogler, pictured speaking at the 2014 New York Film Festival on Oct. 10 in New York City, has officially been hired to direct Marvel's "Black Panther." Getty

One of Marvel’s most important superheroes is finally headed to the big screen, and the studio is apparently doubling down on talent to ensure the film does the comic book character justice. With his most recent movie, “Creed,” getting some serious buzz during award season, Marvel studios has officially tapped Ryan Coogler to direct “Black Panther.”

The news comes directly from the source as Marvel released a press statement announcing the “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station” director as the choice to helm the movie after what felt like an incredibly long process of elimination that once included high profile names like Ava DuVernay and Rick Famuyiwa. After Chadwick Boseman makes his debut as the title character, Coogler will take the reigns on his story.

“We are fortunate to have such an esteemed filmmaker join the Marvel family,” producer Kevin Feige said in a statement. “The talents Ryan showcased in his first two films easily made him our top choice to direct ‘Black Panther.’ Many fans have waited a long time to see Black Panther in his own film, and with Ryan we know we’ve found the perfect director to bring T’Challa’s story to life.”

As previously mentioned, Coogler will be responsible for directing Black Panther’s standalone movie but he's not responsible for his introduction. That honor goes to Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed the upcoming superhero-packed sequel “Captain America: Civil War.” As demonstrated by the film’s first trailer, Black Panther will be introduced as a key player in the “Civil War” plotline before breaking off to star in his own story set, which is set for a Feb. 16, 2018 release.

According to the Verge, Coogler had been the rumored candidate for months after other directors dropped out earlier in 2015. In fact, Sylvester Stallone, who just earned himself a Golden Globe thanks to his supporting role in “Creed,” confessed that he didn’t expect Coogler to come back for a sequel as he’d likely be busy with “Black Panther.” However, that didn’t stop the director from working with Stallone on ideas for potential future expansions of the Rocky Balboa franchise.

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