Denzel Washington Apologizes To Ryan • Hollywood Unlocked

Denzel Washington wasn’t supposed to drop any hints about possibly joining Black Panther 3, and he even reached out to director Ryan Coogler to apologize for dropping the news early. 

“I called him the other day. I forgot what it was about — no, I called him to apologize,” Washington said in a new interview on the Variety Awards Circuit podcast. “That’s right. I called him. I said, ‘I’m sorry, man.’ He’s like, ‘No, man, it’s all good.’ I FaceTimed, and right there next to him was his lady. They were editing. They were hanging out.”

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In a recent chat, Washington mentioned he hasn’t received any updates on the next chapter of the superhero saga, suggesting that the film’s plans might be a bit up in the air compared to what he initially indicated. “I don’t know what he’s got cooking for me,” he said. “I love Ryan, because he’s like, he won’t say things. ‘You know what I’m saying? Like, you know what I’m saying?’ Well, at least that’s when he talks to me. It’s like, ‘You know what I’m saying?’”

“I’m like, ‘No, I don’t know what you’re saying, Ryan, say it!’” Washington continued. “‘Well, like, you know what I’m saying? I’m doing a Black Panther.’ That’s how he sounds, right? ‘Yeah, you know what I’m saying?’ And like, I’m like, ‘Man, are you kidding me? Just write it! Whatever you write, I’ll do it.’”

While promoting his upcoming projects on Australia’s Today show last month, the Gladiator II star let it slip about Black Panther 3, saying he probably doesn’t have many more films left to shoot. 

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 “I’ve been talking with Steve McQueenabout a film,” he said. “After that, Ryan Coogler’s writing a part for me in the next Black Panther. After that, I’m gonna do the film Othello. After that, I’m gonna do King Lear. After that, I’m gonna retire.”

He also shared more info about his upcoming projects during a Variety podcast. 

“I’m waiting for him,” Washington said of McQueen. “Whatever he says, you know. I said, ‘You go ahead and call me when you’re ready.’”

Washington is busy working on adapting August Wilson’s play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. He mentioned, “I’ve talked with [Laurence Fishburne] and a couple other folks, and that’s about it for casting. There are a lot of great actors to choose from.”