According to The Wrap, Joe Robert Cole is in the final stages of negotiations to write a new draft of the Black Panther script. Marvel may have actually had early talks with F. Gary Gray to direct Black Panther but with the Straight Outta Compton helmer set to tackle Furious 8, it looks as if Kevin Feige and co. will be looking to perfect the script before seeking directors. Black Panther is currently set for release on July 6, 2018. Chadwick Boseman plays the titular superhero from Wakanda, who will make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Captain America: Civil War. Ava DuVernay was Marvel's first choice for the director's chair but the Selma director passed on the project over creative differences. Given the high profile nature of DuVernay's rebuff, Marvel will likely be extra careful in approaching the next crop of potential suitors.



Cole comes from the in-house Marvel writers program, which also counts Guardians of the Galaxy scribe Nicole Perlman among its members. While James Gunn threw out most of Perlman's script, her work was impressive enough to ultimately lead to her securing the Captain Marvel gig.



Also of interest, is the reveal that while working in the in-house writers program, Cole worked on an Inhumans script. However, The Wrap notes that Marvel is no longer using that version of the script for the project.