News of the Week: Denzel Washington Says Ryan Coogler Wants Him In Black Panther 3

Now that Halloween has passed, we turn our attention to Thanksgiving (at least in the United States). November sees the holiday movie season kicking off in earnest, and the movie news reflects that. This week brings an exciting new project for Russell Crowe, Denzel possibly joining the MCU, a new peek at the next Avatar movie, and lots of big trailer drops.

As always, Atom Insider brings you a few hand-picked stories we think you’ll like. Ready? Let’s dive in.

Russell Crowe Has His Best Gladiator Replacement Lined Up

Those disappointed that Russell Crowe didn’t return in some way for Gladiator II, fear not: he will once again be fighting the Roman legion, albeit from the other side, in his new movie The Last Druid. This historical epic follows the story of a Druid stronghold in the mountains of Caledonia fighting for its way of life when a Roman emperor discovers them and is determined to wipe them out. Crowe’s peace-seeking Celtic tribesman must once again fight for his family and the people he loves.

Undewater‘s Will Eubank is set to direct, and he also penned the script for The Last Druid alongside Phil Gawthorne and Carlyle Eubank. Crowe is the only one currently attached to the project, but casting is already underway, with filming set to begin next year.

Sorry, All: Glen Powell Is Not Replacing Tom Cruise In The Mission: Impossible Franchise

As always, fans love to kick around their names to replace longtime actors in big franchises, and one of the more recent names being kicked about is Glen Powell taking over for Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible franchise. The rumor makes sense: After all, Powell and Cruise worked together on Top Gun: Maverick, and Powell’s cocky swagger, in some ways, feels like a reincarnation of young Tom Cruise. Still, the rumor has the incredibly dubious origin of The Insneider – so take that with a grain of salt.

Glen Powell has debunked it on, of all places, the Pat McAfee Show, when the host called to congratulate him live on air and the actor immediately said no. Technically, the news reported by The Insneider is that Cruise wants Powell to replace him on the M:I movies, which really means nothing. He can want it, but it doesn’t mean it will happen. Either way, Powell shot it down: “My mom would never let me do that,” he said, adding that the stunts required for the franchise were a death trap. So there you go. You can get that rumor out of your head. In the meantime, here’s the first teaser trailer for what will indeed be Cruise’s last movie in the Mission: Impossible franchise:

Zendaya Opens Up About Working With Tom Holland

This may not be real news, but something sweet to read. With them working together so often, fans have often wondered if it ever gets tiring for Zendaya and Tom Holland to work together and what it’s like for them to act opposite one another. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, when asked if it was weird acting with him, Zendaya clarified that, if anything, it makes things easier for her.

“Not really. It’s actually strangely comfortable. It’s like second nature, if anything. You feel extra safe with the person you’re acting beside. I love working with him. He’s so talented, and so passionate about what he does. He always gives things one thousand percent, even if he’s absolutely worn down. I really appreciate that about him. It feels pretty normal. That’s how we met. Literally, at a chemistry read.”

Even if the MCU Spider-Man movies hadn’t been wildly successful, they’d still have been worth it to see these two meet. The way they both champion each other as younger actors making their way in Hollywood has been incredible to see.

Denzel Says Ryan Coogler Is Writing A Black Panther 3 Part For Him

Speaking of the MCU, Denzel Washington apparently never got the memo about those Marvel snipers, as he’s revealed Ryan Coogler is writing a part specifically for him in Black Panther 3. It was a sneaky reveal, slipped into Washington talking about his upcoming projects and plans to retire to The Today Show Australia:

“At this point in my career, I’m only interested in working with the best. I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make, probably not that many. I want to do things that I haven’t done. I played Othello at 22, I’m now going to play it at 70. After that, I’m playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next Black Panther. After that, I’m going to do the film Othello. After that, I’m going to do King Lear. After that, I’m going to retire.”

If Washington does indeed end up in Black Panther 3 and then caps it off with two Shakespeare roles, it will be a legendary end to a legendary career – even if we do hope that he still has a few more roles in him after that.