“Black Panther 3” will be one of my last roles

November 22nd will be a big day for Denzel Washington. His role in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” has put him at the center of the Oscar race for best supporting actor, and the film hits theaters on the same day as his son Malcolm Washington’s “The Piano Lesson,” which he produced , is broadcast on Netflix.

But despite his recent streak of success, Washington is considering an exit strategy from the film industry. In a recent appearance on Australia’s “Today” (via Variety), the two-time Oscar winner explained that he became extremely picky about choosing roles in the final chapter of his career.

“For me it’s about the filmmakers. “At this point in my career, I’m only interested in working with the best,” Washington said. “I don’t know how many more films I’ll do. There are probably not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done yet.”

Washington went on to list the projects he plans to tackle before retirement, including his upcoming Broadway turn in “Othello” opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Antoine Fuqua’s untitled Hannibal epic for Netflix. But he also brought some big news for superhero fans when he revealed that Ryan Coogler plans to include him in a third Black Panther film.

“I played Othello when I was 22. At 70 I’m about to play Othello,” he said. “After that I play Hannibal. Afterwards I talked to Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a role for me in the next “Black Panther.” After that I will do the film “Othello”. After that I’m going to do King Lear. After that I will retire.”

Black Panther 3 has not been officially announced by Marvel, although many expected it due to the overwhelming success of the first two films. Coogler has been busy with “Sinners,” his historical vampire saga starring Michael B. Jordan as twins, set to hit theaters in March 2025. But news out of Washington suggests he is still involved in the Black Panther franchise and could return to direct the third film.