In July 1997, Black Panther was listed as part of Marvel Comics' film slate,[66] and in March 1998, Marvel reportedly hired Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti, who at the time were editors of the Black Panther comics, to work on it;[67][59] Quesada and Palmiotti have both denied this.[59] That August, corporate problems at Marvel put the project on hold.[68] A year later, Snipes was set to produce, and possibly star, in the film,[69] while Artisan Entertainment announced a deal with Marvel in May 2000 to co-produce, finance, and distribute the film.[70] In March 2002, Snipes planned to make the film or Blade 3 (2004) over the next year.[71] In July 2004, Blade 3 director David S. Goyer stated that he felt Snipes starring as Black Panther in addition to Marvel's Blade "might be overkill".[72]