Leaked concept art for Avengers: Secret Wars (perhaps Avengers: Doomsday) has seemingly confirmed that the MCU will introduce a new T'Challa ahead of Black Panther 3.
After Chadwick Boseman's passing, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever confirmed that his character had also died. Shuri then inherited the mantle, and the sequel ended by revealing the fallen hero secretly had a son with Nakia, a young boy named T'Challa II (a.k.a. Toussaint).
While Avengers: Secret Wars' Black Panther may be a Variant, we think Toussaint is going to be aged up before picking up where his father left off in the Mutant Saga. With all that in mind, we're now taking a look at the actors who we believe could take over this role in the MCU.
You can check out our top suggestions by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
8. Aldis Hodge
Aldis Hodge is no stranger to superhero fare after lending his voice to John Stewart in animation and playing Hawkman in the ill-fated Black Adam. The Cross star deserves another shot at the genre, and we think he could do something exciting with Black Panther.
The actor is physically imposing and would likely be a T'Challa with more of an edge. This character also needs to be a King, and we think Hodge is talented enough to showcase that side of the hero just as effectively.
Hodge would be a well-received choice to bring either a T'Challa Variant or an adult version of the boy we first met in Wakanda Forever to life on screen. However, there are still plenty of other exciting possibilities...
7. Jovan Adepo
Jovan Adepo has racked up some impressive credits, including Fences, Mother!, Babylon, and His Three Daughters. On television, you'll have likely seen him in The Leftovers, Jack Ryan, When They See Us, and 3 Body Problem.
However, the role that put him on our map was Hooded Justice in Watchmen; the series earned Adepo an Emmy nomination. Make no mistake about it, he's a powerhouse talent.
We've hopefully sold you on him enough to see why he'd be a worthy successor to the late, great Chadwick Boseman. Adepo never fails to impress on screen and feels like someone who could make T'Challa his own, either as a Variant or as the son of the original.
6. John David Washington
Whether we're talking about his breakthrough role in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman or big-budget fare like The Creator and Tenet, John David Washington has proven himself one of Hollywood's most impressive rising stars.
That's not only surprising given who his father is—funnily enough, Denzel Washington played a key role in Boseman's acting career—but John is undeniably talented in his own right.
If anyone can handle the pressure that comes with doing right by Black Panther, it's surely Washington. Plus, with Denzel already cast in Black Panther 3, seeing the father and son share the screen in the MCU would be a bonus.
5. John Boyega
Lucasfilm did not do right by John Boyega in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and the actor has since put in a lot of work to shake off Finn. Honestly, he's been hugely successful too, a point we're sure you'll agree with if you've seen The Woman King and They Cloned Tyrone.
Boyega as the adult T'Challa, who has a major chip on his shoulder and a hardened attitude, is very much what we'd like to see from his potential MCU debut.
Initially, we're sure this would be a somewhat divisive casting decision on Marvel Studios' part. Boyega proving the doubters wrong is a given, but whether he'd be open to joining another huge franchise is another matter altogether, particularly after his Star Wars experience.
4. Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. has received widespread acclaim for his work; after making a name for himself with It Comes at Night, the actor has since starred in The Trial of the Chicago 7, Cyrano, Elvis, Chevalier, and Mufasa: The Lion King.
The actor's previous roles have proven to us that he could play King T'Challa with ease, while a big-budget action role feels like the logical next step for his career. Why not throw him into the deep end with Black Panther?
Anyone who takes over this role - whether it's as a Variant or Toussaint - is going to face comparisons to Boseman. Harrison Jr. is a strong enough talent to handle that and make the character his own in a way we're sure would resonate with fans.
3. Michael B. Jordan
Okay, let us explain. Michael B. Jordan first played Erik Killmonger - T'Challa's cousin - in 2018's Black Panther. He died in that movie but remains one of the MCU's best-written villains and stole the show with an Ancestral Plane cameo in Wakanda Forever.
Many fans initially hoped that Killmonger would be revealed as having survived, redeeming himself by becoming the new Black Panther. The moment has passed for that, but there's nothing to stop Jordan from playing a T'Challa Variant in Avengers: Secret Wars and beyond.
Provided this is all properly explained, it wouldn't confuse people, and magic always happens when filmmaker Ryan Coogler and Jordan work together. How better to honour Boseman's legacy than reuniting them for an all-new T'Challa story?
2. Damson Idris
We're cheating a little bit here, as Damson Idris is rumoured to be in the running to play the new T'Challa. After impressing in John Singleton's crime drama Snowfall, the British actor recently took on the lead role in F1: The Movie and held his own against co-star Brad Pitt.
Idris is a talented rising star, and while F1 was a big step forward for his career, he would benefit greatly from a breakout role like Black Panther (not dissimilar to Boseman, who put himself on the map with his blockbuster debut in Captain America: Civil War).
The actor does feel a little like a gamble given his lack of blockbuster experience, but at the same time, that could go in his favour. We think he'd be up for the challenge, anyway.
1. Miles Caton
At 20, Miles Caton is one of the youngest actors on this list. However, there's something to be said for a younger T'Challa who isn't necessarily the seasoned warrior we met in 2016, and we'd be intrigued to see what the actor and musician would bring to the role.
Caton rose to prominence for his work in Little Big Shots, though many of you will know him best for Ryan Coogler's Sinners. As Sammie Moore, he fit right in with his far more experienced co-stars, delivering a superb performance that cemented him as one to watch.
He's expressed interest in a superhero role, and a reunion with Coogler to play the MCU's new Black Panther feels like a possibility with real potential to us (don't let his inexperience fool you; Caton is clearly talented).