Black Panther 2: Ryan Coogler on the Pressure of Making a Sequel

Now that Ryan Coogler has been tasked with following up his mega-blockbuster Black Panther for Marvel, the pressure is starting to mount. In an interview with IndieWire, the Creed director explained that, despite the stress, he’s not that worried.

“I think the pressure is kind of always going to be there. I’ve had a chance to make three feature films, each one of them had its own very specific type of pressure. In the process of it, it feels insurmountable each time,” Coogler explained.

Related: Ryan Coogler Returning to Write & Direct Black Panther Sequel

While this isn’t the director’s first sequel, Black Panther 2 will be the first time he’s helmed a follow-up to a movie he also directed, but says he remains focused on the job at hand. “When it comes to making a sequel, I’ve never done it before, a sequel to something that I’ve directed myself. So I think there’s gonna be a lot of pressure there, but what we’re going to try to do is just focus on the work, like we always do. Really try to go step by step and try to quiet everything else around us, really focus on trying to make something that has some type of meaning.”

Black Panther, which hit theaters in February of this year, is currently being pushed for awards season by Disney, the company that owns Marvel Studios. They’re currently campaigning for the film in every major category of the Oscars, including Best Picture.