Marvel Studios is in the midst of celebrating a grand 10th birthday for their Cinematic Universe, an ambitious undertaking to link key films into a related experience. By all accounts, the shared universe has surpassed any and all expectations making household names out of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and even Guardians Of The Galaxy.

After first appearing on screen in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther is finally getting his own stand-alone film. As a benchmark moment for representation of African-Americans in comic book films (and films at large) fans can’t help but speculate about the appearance of other Black characters like Blade and Luke Cage. However, the complicated relationship between the MCU and other Marvel properties (i.e. the ones appearing on Netflix) makes this easier said than done.  

“Oh man, I don’t control that stuff. I know that stuff’s all complicated…but I think it would be awesome,” says Black Panther director Ryan Coogler. “I love those characters. I loved Wesley. I remember going to see those Blade movies and just being proud. Not only were they great movies, but they really showed that comic books movies could exist. It kind of paved thee way for the work we’re doing now. And what [Luke Cage Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker] is doing with Netflix is just incredible, putting African-American culture on the screen like that. And seeing people react to it that aren’t from that culture…it’s just universal.”

Black Panther is in theaters February 16!