A “Black Panther” animated series is in the works at Marvel Studios.
Titled “Eyes of Wakanda,” the new project was teased on Monday night by Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum at an event to promote the second season of the studio’s inaugural animated series, “What If…?”.
“Throughout Wakandan history, brave warriors have been tasked to travel the world retrieving dangerous vibranium artifacts. This is their story,” reads the official logline, per Marvel. The studio has been developing multiple series set in Wakanda with “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler, and a source tells Variety Coogler will also be involved in the forthcoming animated project. Coogler is currently under a multi-year overall TV deal with the Walt Disney Company through his Proximity Media banner.
Along with “Eyes of Wakanda,” the sizzle reel at the “What If…?” event highlighted two other previously announced animated series: “X-Men ’97,” expected to debut in 2024, and “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” previously titled “Spider-Man: Freshman Year.” There was no mention of “Marvel Zombies,” the third animation title previously announced by Marvel’s in-house animation department.
As of May, no live-action projects set in Wakanda have been ordered to series, and the studio overall has dialed back its slate amid criticism — including from Disney CEO Bob Iger — that Marvel had oversaturated the market. The “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” spin-off series “Ironheart,” starring Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos and Alden Ehrenreich, was pushed from its fall 2023 release date; Marvel has not yet announced when it will premiere. The studio has a single feature film — “Deadpool 3” — set for release in 2024, along with the streaming series “Echo” in January and “Agatha” in the fall.