Black Panther director Ryan Coogler to develop TV series set in Wakanda at Disney+

The Kingdom of Wakanda is staking out turf on the Disney + streaming service.A TV series set in the Black Panther kingdom will be developed as part of a five-year, exclusive television deal the Walt Disney Co announced Monday with filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media company.Coogler wrote and directed 2018’s Black Panther, a box-office hit grossing over $ 1.3 billion in worldwide and the first superhero film to be nominated for the best picture at Oscars. The film also turned Chadwick Boseman into a superstar. The actor died in August of cancer.Coogler, also known for films Fruitvale Station and Creed, “brought a groundbreaking story and iconic characters to life in a real, meaningful and memorable way, creating a watershed cultural moment,” Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger said in a statement. The company looks forward “to telling more great stories with Ryan and his team.”A time frame for the series wasn’t immediately announced.The Black Panther character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics, which became part of Disney in 2009 when the media giant acquired Marvel Entertainment.Coogler is currently working on the Black Panther sequel he will direct this year. The new film will neither recast another actor in the role of Black Panther nor use CGI to recreate the late actor.(With inputs from agencies)