Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ended with the introduction of T'Challa and Nakia's son, Toussaint, a.k.a. T'Challa II. At San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday night, Marvel Studios announced that David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus) will lead Black Panther 3 as the new T'Challa.
He's playing T'Challa II, but with Letitia Wright sticking around as Shuri, it's unclear whether he'll be portrayed as her nephew or brother. After all, in the post-Doomsday/Secret Wars MCU, changes to the timeline are expected, and this could be among the biggest.
According to insider Daniel Richtman, Jonsson is set to make his official MCU debut in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. This was to be expected, especially after leaked concept art revealed Battleworld and a new Black Panther last year.
It makes sense to put the spotlight on T'Challa in Secret Wars, as it would serve as a suitable launching platform for Black Panther 3 (similar to how Captain America: Civil War teed up 2018's Black Panther movie).
Talking to ScreenRant at Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said, "I mean, the truth is, this has been a secret. His deal’s been done. [Ryan] Coogler had a secret meeting with him five or six months ago, then called me afterwards and said, 'This is him, I feel and see it in his soul. He’s a good man. He’s a great man, and he’s going to bring the Panther to life.'"
"So, we said, 'That’s it!' What more do you need when Ryan Coogler sees and feels that? And [David’s] movies are awesome! He’s awesome in his movies, and I think we’re just beginning to see what he’s capable of," he continued. "I’ll tell you what he is capable of: keeping a secret for about 6 months, until this very moment. And that was extremely exciting!"
Jonsonn has been named as a possibility for the role for some time now, though it looked like F1: The Movie star Damson Idris might be the frontrunner. However, Coogler told fans in Hall H that he cast the new T'Challa after seeing Jonsonn in The Long Walk, so there was likely very little to those claims about Idris.
"I want to say thank you so much, thank you Ryan, thank you Kevin, thank you to this amazing family that I had the honour and the privilege and the blessing to join," the actor said in a brief, yet clearly emotional, message to excited fans.
Black Panther 3 will be released in theaters on December 15, 2028.