Black Panther 2 was going to happen no matter what, but it has now been confirmed by Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige who also stated that there's already a "pretty solid direction" for the sequel. The first installment has officially been in theaters for a month and is days away from crossing the billion-dollar milestone at the worldwide box office, which is pretty amazing considering that the movie was only tracking for a $120 million opening weekend. Black Panther shattered those initial projections by nearly doubling them.

In a new interview, Kevin Feige spoke about the upcoming Infinity War and was asked about the potential for Black Panther 2. Feige was tight-lipped about any specifics, including a release date or cast announcements, but he did confirm that the sequel is in the works. He had this to say.

"Nothing specific to reveal, other than to say we absolutely will do that. One of the favorite pastimes at Marvel Studios is sitting around on a Part One and talking and dreaming about what we would do in a Part Two. There have been plenty of those conversations as we were putting together the first Black Panther. We have ideas and a pretty solid direction on where we want to head with the second one."

Kevin Feige's thoughts on Black Panther 2 echo those of producer Nate Moore who also said that talks of a sequel began weeks into production of the first movie. Moore took it one step further, noting that multiple sequels and spin-offs have been discussed.

Kevin Feige has previously mentioned that he wants director Ryan Coogler to return for Black Panther 2, but there have not been any official announcements from either camp to confirm the director's return. The cast and crew seem like a tight knit group, so it seems like a no-brainer for Coogler to return to write and direct a sequel, especially since there has been so much talk about it. Additionally, there have been no official announcements in terms of returning cast, but it is anticipated that everybody, including Chadwick Boseman will make a return for Black Panther 2.

While Infinity War didn't have a presence in Black Panther, it's assumed that Black Panther 2 will take place after the huge battle on Wakanda that has been featured in the promotional material for Infinity War. There could be some Wakandan casualties along with those of the Avengers, which would help to determine who will be returning for the sequel. Shuri will no doubt make a return and may end up as the new Tony Stark in the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

While there's not a lot of information floating around about Black Panther 2, it should be comforting to fans to know that the sequel is already being developed with a "solid direction." No release date has been set, but a late 2020 or early 2021 premiere seems logical. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will hit theaters in 2020, a year after Avengers 4, which will reportedly set up the next phase of the MCU, so Black Panther 2 will more than likely fit in right after that. You can read the rest of the interview with Kevin Feige via Entertainment Weekly.