Watched the Coates Q&A at Amalgam Comics. You can see it here:
https://www.facebook.com/amalgamphilly/videos/1106071119500129/A few highlights:
-Coates planned on using the original Crew, but then found out that Josiah Bradley was unavailable (complicated reasons, apparently) and that Rhodey was going to be killed. Thus, he went a different direction.
-Bast was supposed to appear in issue #13, but that might not happen. Coates didn't mention Bast not showing up at all, so anything is possible.
-The previous Panthers are set to appear in season 2, possibly as early as issue #13.
-Narratively, Coogler and the MCU will probably be influenced by a lot of Priest and some Hudlin.
-Visually, Cooger and the MCU will be probably influenced a lot by Stelfreeze.
-Coates talks to Coogler often, as they are friends. However, Coates isn't involved in the making of the film.